Loving My Body Through A Decade Living With Dystonia

Ten years a slave–
To tangled limbs
And a torquing spine,
To a broken medical system
And neural network gone offline

Ten years an observer–
Of the quirky, jerky movement of a marionette
Compensatorily adopted two decades ago
After a bike/car accident left my 
Body and brain bruised and bowed

Ten years a student–
Of physiology and the human mind;
Acquiring an armchair PhD
In neuroscience, while redefining 
My own healing potentiality

Ten years a master–
Of my own holistic healing, not settling for damning
Medical ‘experts’, neurotoxins, or surgery of the noggin’,
Striving instead for true reprieve with therapeutic nutrition,
Restorative movement and mindful intention

Ten years a warrior–
Gutting it out in the trenches, battling for control
Over my splintered body, mind and soul
Wrestling all threats against my spirit with
Weapons of mass reconstruction and resilience

Ten years of struggle and triumph behind me
A lifetime of hard work and hope ahead,
Bitter conflict yields to the fickle dance of peace:
Realizing dystonia isn’t really my biggest adversary, but rather 
My greatest teacher for embracing my body as ‘beloved friend’

Cross posted on The Mind-Body Shift