INVISIBLE OCTOPUS by Corina Duyn

Invisible Octopus

The reality of life

with the unpronounceable illness

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

is hidden and fragile

M.E. as Invisible Octopus

acting as puppeteer

keeping me upright

or making me stumble at will

inflicting pain

challenging my brain

its crushing weight

taking my breath away

Rosie cheeks

looking well they say

summer is coming

happy thoughts will cure you

I live in a disbelieving world

my reality

trivialized

dismissed

My full time carers

witness Octopus’ destruction

for others I simply disappear

into the shadows

I am just one in this worldwide

community of hermits

where freedom of movement

is no longer a right

Transcending gravity

I fly among the birds

Their beauty and harmony

uplifting and strengthening

After a short flight

Octopus attacks

Pinning me down

immobilised

each moment is a death

Breathe

...

Each moment is a living

Finding peace in my solitude

I observe the dance of the trees

There is movement

in stillness

My creative mind

the visible thread

throughout this twenty-two-year long story

Transforming pain into poetry

~The ‘Invisible Octopus’ poem originally appeared here~

(Click the arrow to view Corina's award-winning shadow puppetry

art video-narrative of her poem)

Corina Duyn is a 58 year-old Dutch born artist, writer and puppet designer. She has lived in Ireland for the past thirty years. Her work is inspired by nature and reflects life with the disabling condition Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) which changed her life 22 years ago. Words and images are her lifeline to connect with the world beyond the walls of her home. Her latest work ‘Invisible Octopus’ is a poem, a story, an animation of a life triumphant under the weight of illness. The poem has been translated into several languages; the Video-Poem selected for various film festivals, including the ‘International Poetry Film Festival’ 2021. You may learn more about Corina via her website here or Facebook page, Little Wings.

*For submission guidelines, click here.*

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