Ode to Lupus

Ode to Lupus is a poem that celebrates the strength and resilience of those with lupus. It highlights the challenges they face, such as financial burden, stigma, and uncertainty. The poem is a call to action for better care, research, and hope for a future where lupus is no longer a misunderstood burden:

Lupus, lupus, thief of light, that silent shadow in the night.

You strike without warning, leaving us all afraid, our bodies ravaged, our spirits dismayed.

From skin to joints, to organs deep, nowhere is safe, from your cruel sweep.

You paint the skin with a butterfly's grace, A mask of mystery on a weary face,

But beneath the mask, the spirit shines bright, Defying your darkness with unwavering light.

Fatigue, pain, and fever's flame, A relentless battle, moments of extreme shame.

The mind it wanders, thoughts go astray, as lupus' whispers of fog echo each day.

Uncertainty reigns, a constant dread, wondering if the next flare is all in our head.

Lupus, lupus, foe so sly, you mock our strength, you cloud our sky.

But we will rise, we will not yield, though challenges confront, we'll fight through the pain field.

We are lupus thrivers, brave and strong, with courage deep, we'll keep on going.

Though pain may grip, and spirits sag, we'll find a way, to rise above the slag.

We'll fight for answers search for light, to shine a beacon in the darkest night.

We'll gather strength, from one another's grace, a lupus community, a mighty force in every space.

Although lupus' shadow casts a long, dark spell, On our finances, our careers, and most definitely our health.

The cost of treatment it’s a heavy weight, as we struggle to understand and keep it all straight.

From doctor's appointments to costly meds, the financial burdens, messes up our heads.

Lupus steals our time, our energy too, Leaving us exhausted, feeling blue.

And then there's the stigma, the silent pain, 0f being misunderstood, of feeling insane.

Lupus is invisible, yet it's visible and real to us, A daily battle, so hard to understand and discuss.

Ode to Lupus, you may try to deceive, But the lupus thrivers, they'll never leave,

With hope in their hearts and courage untamed, they'll conquer your challenges, even when unnamed.

Know we will not be silenced, we will not hide, we'll raise our voices, side by side.

We'll educate the world, about this foe, so that others may find their way, and so…

We'll fight for better care, for research and hope, for a future where lupus is no longer a trope.

Where lupus thrivers are supported, and completely understood, and where lupus is defeated, and our lives can be good.

So, to my fellow lupus thrivers, I say, you are not alone, on those difficult days.

We'll stand together, strong and brave, and together, we'll pave ground to the healing way.

To a world where lupus is no longer a curse, but a challenge we meet, with strength and powerful verse.

Where you thrive beyond lupus, and dreams take flight, And lupus is simply a footnote, in the night.

Ode to Lupus, in the dark we find our light, In every struggle, we reclaim our might.

With every step, we march that steady pace, for in our hearts, we hold an unyielding grace.