Perfectly Imperfect

A loose carpet, a crack in the street
and KABAM, she falls -
bleeding internally, she grins
like nothing has happened
because it has happened
so many times before
and will ...
many times more.

Her sorrow
no one truly understands
as she tries to do
all that everyone else can.
Staying healthy, staying happy,
concealing her knees
behind jeans and skirts,
perfecting the imperfect limp
and bearing it all,
smiling like a doll

as she lies on the floor,
and stares at the ceiling.
It's a different state of mind,
a different state of being.
With her legs propped up,
stiff as a stick,
swollen and heavy,
she thinks to herself,
what a wonderful life ...

if she could run
like the wind
and be MVP,
but knees don't heal
overnight.

To be normal,
to be all that she is
and wants to be,
she puts on her braces
and smiles once more
for now she is normal,
somewhat ...
as she cries inside,
nobody knows
because nobody's
perfect.