Steps
written by: Joan McNerney
Dedicated to David Abramson
Learning to walk
wobbly stunt lurching
in my small apartment.
Afraid to fall with
so much metal in
my bionic body.
Everything is passing
by me now a lesser
version of who I was.
Some medical people
think I am deaf
as they shout at me.
Before I could bound
down staircases
strolling for ten blocks.
After the surgeries
taking a shower was
an entire day’s job.
Getting dressed
by contorting my
legs to fit into slacks.
My grabber stick
always by my side
to “pick up the pieces.”
After a year I’m able
to walk without my
cane but only indoors.
Touching chairs tables
walls to get where
I need to go.
Outdoors is a wild place
with cracks bumps
holes everywhere.
Housebound for over
more than two years waking
to a new day of pain.
NOTE:
Based on the Prompt – The Weight We Carry
- Steps - June 17, 2026
- Landing - May 12, 2026
- The Big Secret - January 14, 2026
