Poetry is music for the soul…

Poetry is music for the soul… | July 3, 2025

And we souls with epilepsy could use a little music.

But, since we can’t hear you, we’ll have to settle for the written word.

So, whether it’s lyrics or poetry…write on!

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7 Comments »

I wrote six poems as I progressed after my surgery.

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Comment by Ed Lugge — July 7, 2025 @ 5:21 PM

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- Would you share one (or two) with us, please?
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 7, 2025 @ 6:22 PM
  
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It’s long. I double-spaced to separate the lines of the poem. This is part 2 of the 6.

I got a second chance at life Where do I go from here With all the prayers still being said
Why should I have a fear The fear comes when the warnings start The ones that used to say A seizure’s coming so it seems But now they go away There are setbacks that you notice But yourself you cannot blame One is things you can’t remember It may be someone’s name Now look at what I could have lost My math skills and some vision The math, the vision, they’re going strong I made the right decision The attitude has made a change For the better so it seems The kind of person I want to be Is not just in my dreams And then one of my biggest pains Was coming to an end For ten straight months I couldn’t drive Now I’m “On The Road Again” Six months went by and I was ready For some testing to begin A brain wave and an IQ test To see what progress there’s been The IQ’s down but I didn’t care It was high enough for me The brain wave was my main concern Improvements I wanted to see So then I heard those test results And thought I lost my mind Because as far as seizures go They said there was no sign How I can top that, I don’t know But one was in the making Finally, I’m cutting back On the pills I had been taking When asked which pill I wanted off That was an easy decision For one I knew was causing me Dizziness and double-vision But then I had another battle With confidence it appears How could this problem go away It’s been here for 40 years So try it one step at a time Don’t ask if it’s for real You cut back on the pills you take And look how good you feel It seems I have control of this But there’s one problem I guess A working father of three young men Now that spells anger or stress Well sure enough that time has come My stress is at its worst I’m getting uptight, upset, riled And this feeling is a first It feels like chills down my left side So I push the panic alarm But then I find it doesn’t last It’s not causing any harm I asked for help from other people To them, how does stress feel Then I would find I’m not alone That feeling is for real It wasn’t fast but finally The first year has gone by I look back and I find that I Have been a lucky guy As far as how this year has gone Give credit where it’s due I worked real hard but family, friends I give the credit to you My goal right now is just how much I can help other people who Are having trouble coping with The setbacks they’ve been through That opportunity came my way With phone calls I would get From friends I knew from long ago To some I never met If asked about the surgery The answer that person gets Is that I needed big-time help And I have no regrets If you find you’re a candidate The decision you must make Is how much you will benefit From risks you have to take I took some risks but didn’t care If I was right or wrong I wasn’t living, just existing It had been way too long I told them my neurologists Were a husband and a wife And they could be your start as well To a second chance at life The past few years I’ve offered help In any way I can To raise some funds I took a walk…I rode a bike…I ran Another way that I would help A camp counselor I would be Where kids with epilepsy Get the feeling of being free When my morale gets this big lift While others I can aid It’s the only time that I’ll admit I’m getting overpaid Now my comeback is a journey And I’d say I’m halfway there The second half is just as hard But I’m ready for that dare As I sit back and look at life I notice from a glance I’m more in charge of how it goes Since I got that second chance

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Comment by Ed Lugge — July 8, 2025 @ 11:07 AM

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I see it didn’t double-space so look for capital letters as the start of the next line.

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Comment by Ed Lugge — July 8, 2025 @ 11:12 AM

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- Wow! What a difficult and courageous journey you’ve been on.
  
  But you persevered, getting help and helping others.
  
  I think the give and take are key.
  
  Without them, the course is even more complicated as you showed.
  
  Thank you for sharing such a personal and provocative poem.
  
  I’m sure it will resonate with others.
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 8, 2025 @ 11:21 AM
  
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  - Here’s a second poem (#4). It’s shorter. It gives you an idea how it feels to watch a dream come true. I had surgery in 2000 and this was written in 2005. To keep you clear on a part of this poem, my sister died 26 years before my surgery.
    
    Since three poems I already wrote
    
    I’ll make this next one short
    
    I’d say this is a family skill
    
    But writing’s not a sport
    
    This is the day I’ve waited for
    
    It started with a book
    
    And with a name like “Seizure Free”
    
    I had to take a look
    
    The author was a lady who
    
    Had surgery just like me
    
    For three years, she was seizure-free
    
    So what would my goal be?
    
    You know I’ve been competitive
    
    And that will stay alive
    
    If now it’s been three years for her
    
    I’ll set my goal at five
    
    Well Year One was a rocky one
    
    I sometimes had my doubts
    
    The way I didn’t want to feel
    
    It had its ins and outs
    
    Year Two I knew would be a test
    
    I’m down to just one med
    
    The question then was by itself
    
    Could it control my head?
    
    Years Three and Four I felt the same
    
    Some progress could be seen
    
    Like a well-paved road from start to finish
    
    With a few bumps in between
    
    Then came Year Five and I’m determined
    
    I’m going to reach my goal
    
    I won’t let anyone, anything
    
    Put me back in the hole
    
    In the last month came a problem
    
    And from all that I could see
    
    Someone was worrying way too much
    
    And that someone was me
    
    My appointment was tomorrow
    
    And I could say I’m fine
    
    But then that night some auras came
    
    Had too much on my mind
    
    So I explained the happenings
    
    They told me I’m OK
    
    But I asked if they’d help me out
    
    And wanted it this way
    
    Another brain wave’s what I want
    
    The last was 2001
    
    If you want me to settle down
    
    I want to have this done
    
    So they gave me what I asked for
    
    They asked me for a date
    
    My sister’s birthday sounded good
    
    So let’s try December 8
    
    The brain wave went well but one part
    
    The part that really stunk
    
    Hyperventilating five minutes straight
    
    Is a cheap way to feel drunk
    
    The next day I would get results
    
    It wasn’t long I waited
    
    The only action they could see
    
    Was surgery-related
    
    What that means is there was no change
    
    From the last test that they gave
    
    The next time I get worried like this
    
    I’ll settle down and behave
    
    And now since I have reached my goal
    
    For the next goal, I’ll be clever
    
    I won’t set up another date
    
    My next goal is forever
    
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    Comment by Ed Lugge — July 8, 2025 @ 2:27 PM
This poem had me rooting for you every step of the way. It was so intimate, I felt like I was right there beside you!

Bravo! MORE!

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 8, 2025 @ 2:41 PM

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