By: Kimberly Potter Kendrick

Fierce throbbing
Lightning strikes
Ignore, I try
Unbearable moments
Tears, I cry not

I ask not why
Grey overcast skies
A grimace hidden behind
As a sliver of sun appears
Perhaps there is hope
A facade. A mask.
Tears, I cry not

Piercing needle
Classic rock resounding
Volume increased as pain overwhelms
Sensation of removal
I wince
Tears, I cry not

Syringe filled with murky fluid
Suspicious, the uttered word
Concerns exist
My mind momentarily contemplates possible results
Tears, I cry not

Stroking the brush
Thoughts I will not allow
I cannot, will not wander into the vacant space
Canvas overflows with vibrant colors
Experimentation with shiny metallics
Results unimportant
Intense concentration, the process requires
Obsess, I refuse
Tears, I cry not

I listened as he spoke
Compartmentalizing the potential scenarios
Trust. I trust few. Him. I trust him.
I stay. I paint. I wait.
I wait. I wait. I wait.
Tears, I cry not

Bizarre the thinking
Unfamiliar feelings
Darkened blinders harness the future
One appointment, one test, one result viewed
Grasping the meaning
Tears, I cry not

Fear of the unknown
Fear of the facts
Neither dominate
Realism firm
Partaking of of the slightest portions
To the confirmation I listen motionlessly
Daunting the solution
Tears, I cry not

Where is the ending?
Presenting, none within sight
And so the brush strokes continue
Again words can be scripted
Some distinct, other flowing
Conscious of the time
Outside the barricaded yard I dare not roam
Tears, I cry not

The third day, while the month quickly passed
My mind empties
Only counting hours
Thoughts jostled aside
Feelings not permitted
Inscribed across the arm, “I will persevere.”
A reminder of the challenges ahead
A reminder to fight
Tears, I cry not