I hurt all over most of time.
Fractured vertebrae thoracic.
Left ankle broken, some sweet trick.
Some people think they’re above crime.
Seventh rib on right side fractured.
I hurt all over most of time.
Insurance helps, but on my dime.
Sternum broken; seatbelt secured.
Lower back pain walking in boot.
Rollator use is uphill climb.
I hurt all over most of time.
Whose fault it was, she will refute.
Breathing is rough with sternum slime.
Coughing, clearing lungs is torture.
Does she know, or have they told her?
I hurt all over most of time.
Mona Mehas (she/her) writes about growing up poor, accumulating grief, and the urgency of climate change. As a retired Indiana public school teacher, she spends most days at her laptop with two old cats as chaperones.
Backwards Trajectory 