Metropolis of Pain..

The metropolis of pain,
Unlike the bricks & mortar of built up cities.
It's populated regions of pain living within my body,
Forever growing or decreasing,
With different levels of tolerance you have to deal with.
It's parts of the mind,
Telling you your okay,
So take your time.
It's war in my cells,
With opposing sides.
it's my illness Lupus SLE,
The wolf & the butterfly,
Symbols of the hunter & the beauty living inside of this complexed diagnoses inhabiting this body of mine.
People only understand when you bleed,
But they rarely get what it's like,
When your physical & mental health is held prisoner against your will.
People look at me & think it's easy to live the way I do,
Just because I have a chronic illness,
Doesn't mean I don't have feelings just like you.
Just that Lupus has done some physical damage & physical scars that cannot be reversed. 
You learn to become a master of resourcefulness,
Plus tap into your energy reserves.
Moving on from those,
Who can't see past my illness,
Instead use it as a weapon because illness is viewed as a weakness.
The warrior in me,
Has no time for people with empty hearts, 
No compassion or awareness & live their lives emotionless.
Life is to short to not live it out loud & at your best.
Even if it's a struggle to find honest  love & happiness,
Because toxic energy is no good for anyone's physical or mental health.
I've faced many dark times too long to list,
But that light that was just a glimmer is shining so bright I can't resist,
To keep promoting positively & awareness,
Even when no one is listening or showing any interest. 
As the world we live in today people tend to only follow the famous & the rich. 
The pipe dream of illusion is like the photoshop used to sell you just the surface of success.
The reality of what looks good on show with what lies beneath is just an empty shell.
Because I have hope & faith,
To see it through to the end,
When I least expect it all my blessings will flow in.
Even just helping one person,
Is still a step forward to succeeding in fulfilling my purpose.
That the metropolis of pain is just one factor,
When the body & mind connect.
So in the grand scheme of things,
Representing your whole being,
The opportunity to make each day your own,
Even if it's just looking in the mirror & loving what you see,
That the pain is the symptom of an invisible disability,
But my scars are the living reality of my Lupus SLE.