A Poem About Being a Teen with IBD by a Teen with IBD

Because here we know everyone bleeds sometimes.
Because I like myself most when I’m here; am joyous and
loving and less afraid. Closer to the person
I want to be. 

Because leaving this and leaving friends who are more like
sisters
tears me to pieces
and coming back feels like coming 
home. 

Because we have to be Crohn’s and UC kids
all the time
and not one more kid should have to be that.

Because I have seen pain I can barely understand splayed on the faces of my sisters.

Because I have seen them fight with courage.

Because sometimes it’s so much
easier to give up;
because medicines stop working and our
bodies get tired and it’s
so. hard. to go forward; so hard to be grateful,

hard to be loving,

hard to feel stronger,

hard to be vulnerable and
open when our broken places still
twinge.

But because my sisters around me are doing the same,
crying with me and singing encouragement,
falling and hurting and rising and loving with
open arms,
going forward; 

because here, together, we are strong enough.