BY JACQUELINE COLLIER, 2024
I’m not on good terms with my body
My hips hold the weight of the world
They wade through emotion—am I sinking or floating?
And there flows still the pain that I’ve felt
The ache in my spine is familiar
The vertebrae, a pile of stones
Dragging me down—if I don’t swim, I drown
Trapped inside this cage of old bones
My doctor won’t give me a reason
She says there’s too many unknowns
So I’m sent off for blood tests, surrounded by cutlers
And answers keep being postponed
It feels like I’m facing a mountain
And all my discomfort just grows
And, “You can do it!” they’re all shouting
But they don’t see that I’m on a downswing
And here, in the valley, I froze
I’m begging you, doctor, please listen
I’m here at your mercy, exposed
So please try to tell me what this is
Don’t let me stay undiagnosed
Author Bio
Jacqueline Collier is an emerging poet and disability advocate based in Adelaide, and the founder of Disapoetry.com. She was a state finalist in the 2025 Poetry Slam, and was longlisted for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship. She has performed her original poems in Canberra, Perth, and Adelaide.
Post published 01/08/26
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