Pain On a Scale of One to Ten #poem #poetry #health #pain

Is your pain in your knees?
Is your pain in your head?
Who owns your pain
And where has it led?
Who makes the pills
And who makes the rules?
Who gets to decide?
Your struggle’s not yours.
Malpractice insurance,
Politicians and lawyers,
Family and doctors,
Police and employers.
The injured are pitied,
The addicts condemned.
Is heroine cheaper
Than OxyContin?
Fraud or dependence,
From tales we’ve heard
Patients in pain are
Over-pilled
And under-cured.

By Kate Rauner

Inspired by a story at The Atlantic regarding pain traced to somatic (“in the body”) origins. Suffering from mental illness is its own topic.

All my books, including collections of my science-inspired poetry, are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and other major online retailers. You’ll also find paperbacks at Create Space and all major digital formats at Smashwords. Read one today.