Pain

Is a part of me

It's something I've grown used to

Over the years

And it never abates; never ceases, never leaves me

Not even for a second.

It eats away at me

Chews me up and spits me out

But it's not like

I'm not used to it any more

When it's been with me for so long, it's no longer surprising

No longer enough to knock me off my feet

Or leave me gasping for air

It is simply there

Constantly

And it will never stop

But that doesn't make me a

Lifeless

Breathless

Shell of a human being

It makes me strong

Stronger than I realize

But whenever I try to excercize that strength

It seems average to me

With the painful physical barrier in place

So much force remains hidden away

Kept in store

For a single instance

Just one time

To surge past the dam and flood out

It is just waiting.