Hurt

“Hurt”

Surely he is hurting, it’s evident if you look into his eyes

It’s the kind of hurt impossible for one to disguise

But it’s not the type of pain you or I might feel on a given day

His hurt is endless; it has no intention of ever going away

His pain is not confined to a simple body ache

His pain is not limited to the sting of the daily shot he must take

It sees no end in the countless pills he must swallow with every meal

See his pain is not simply something physical to feel

His pain is something we could never understand

The way he feels when to simply walk, he needs someone to hold each hand

Or when he wants a snack, or needs a glass of water

He must call for his wife, his son, grandchildren, or daughter

How about the pain he feels when he can no longer shower alone

Simple things he did as a man, he can no longer do on his own

He cannot walk with pride to his granddaughter’s graduation,

Or drive home from the racing tracks to surprise his beloved with carnations

After dinner he can’t throw on a jacket and walk around the neighborhood

He won’t be able to make it to the racetracks with his eldest son, as he wishes he could

He won’t be able to ride in Daddy’s brand new truck, Oh how that breaks Daddy’s heart

And no he won’t be able to see me finally graduate, because this December we will have to part

Seventeen years I’ve been blessed with the presence of a true man

But for almost half of that time, I, among others, have had to hold his hand

So God I’m trusting you, I’m trusting that you’re taking him for a reason

You’re taking him to ease his pains, to finally relieve him

To allow him to feel the way he deserved to feel, but could not on earth

The way he felt before diabetes, heart problems, strokes, the way he felt,

 before he hurt.

- Rachel Chinapen