It starts out small, just a little nagging

in the pit of your stomach.

Then it starts to grow.

You notice the change but adjust,

these things happen.

 

Your belly swells, there’s pain everywhere,

and then you burst.

You shove that troubling monster out of you

and now must look it

full in the face.

 

They hand it to you, the baby you’ve let grow

as if carrying it around on the inside wasn’t

bad enough.

You pull yourself together, put on a brave face

You can handle this.

 

But every day the demon grows,

you can never put it down- never let it go unattended.

The monster matures, child-sized now.

It hangs off your limbs, dragging you down

impeding every step.

 

It never sleeps, so neither do you.

The beast is too large now,

you’ve let it grow huge,

It is paralyzing you

and it is all consuming.

 

You’re losing to the beast.

it has you fully in its grip.

Tormenting you even in your dreams

It won’t be long now

until all else fades out.