Exercises In Futility?

Futile? No!

It is good for me to go to the gym,
This MesS took so much from my life, yet I
Won’t allow myself to stop. I must try
To keep MS at bay, working each limb,
with the goal of again becoming trim.
Symptoms often cause things to go awry,
Draining my vital energy supply,
Leaving my hopes for fitness dark and dim.

Despite how much symptoms revolt, I must
Remain faithful to my goal of losing
Weight and continuing to gain more strength.
At times symptoms might force me to adjust
What exercises I will be choosing.
Helping me to live with MS at length.

-Josh Evitt, 2019-

How Am I Doing?

Swimmingly

Less weight, freedom to move, escape from heat

Are all things which I enjoy, at the pool.

Water, so bright, so clear, and so cool

Renews my life with a feeling so sweet,

Refreshing me from my head to my feet.

Along with the comfort, it can be cruel.

Returning to land always drains my ‘fuel’

Leaving me like one who’s suffered defeat.

Despite the heat and the effort it takes,

I must refuse to keep living my life

In seclusion. I will boldly advance

Facing my fears and risk making mistakes.

I know that I will face a lot of strife,

But I must live each day, holding my stance.

-Josh Evitt, 2019-

Back And Forth

Spasticity

There are times when my nerves cannot function

In the correct manner. Muscles are ‘told’

To act in a way that is not controlled,

Flexing, contracting, a huge malfunction,

Causing, for me, a major dysfunction:

Spasticity! It strikes, and in its hold,

Bringing me much closer to the threshold

Of what I endure from this malfunction.

Spasticity hits unexpectedly.

Whether getting out of my bed, the van,

Or adjusting my feet in my wheelchair,

I can only observe, dejectedly

As my legs bounce,but I can use my plan

Physical therapy helped me prepare.

-Josh Evitt 2019-

Too Hot For You?

Get Me Out of The Kitchen

     Before  I share the next poem, I had to share: Burning, a song from my cousin's band Scattergun. This fairly accurately describes how I think summer sound would if it had a song for me. You'll need Spotify to hear it.

Heat

As the summer rages, the heat will rise
Forcing me to remain within the walls
Of my cooler home and wait for the fall’s
Relief. As the summer terrorizes,
I hide inside, the heat brutalizes,
Symptoms transform into horrendous squalls,
As each symptom, with renewed power, crawls
Through my body, as it terrorizes.

In spite of the summer’s increasing heat,
I must remain active and live my life,
Trying to retain some form of control
In my life. I will not admit defeat.
I will continue to fight through this strife,
Keeping despair from entering my soul.

The Stupidity Of

Humidity

When the pressure in the atmosphere soars,

Multiple sclerosis’ symptoms reply,

And their agony starts to multiply.

Feeding my desire to stay indoors.

Even inside, with the AC, sweat pours

From my body, no matter how much I

Remain inside with the AC. “Goodbye,”

I bid to the days of playing outdoors.

I spend my summers hidden inside

My house, nestled safely with the AC.

I am so sick of this stupidity!

Cool air only helps me as I abide 

Summer that now holds more misery.

Such is my life with this humidity.