What can any soul-mate do,
Lend or lose or gain,
When their loved one is
Wrapped in searing pain,
But offer support --
Words just seem so weak --
While her joints burn, and the pain leaves her
Unable to speak?

It's helplessness that prevails
In the healthy mind,
With hers ensnared in
Illness so unkind.
Its pain beats the brain,
Making spirits sink,
While her joints burn, and the pain leaves her
Unable to think.

You can see her noble face
Straining to survive,
Movement with purpose,
Bravely forced to strive
To do simple tasks,
Groaning all the while,
While her joints burn, and the pain leaves her
Unable to smile.

You can see it in her eyes,
Filled with massive hurt,
So red and bleary,
Forced to be alert.
So hard to focus.
So hard to align,
While her joints burn, and the pain leaves her
Unable to shine.

A sheen of pain surrounds her,
Constant company,
An aura of green,
Without sympathy.
Intense the color,
Hurting but alive,
While her joints burn, and the pain leaves her
Unable to thrive.

As the suffering goes on,
We do what we can.
Seeking some relief
Since the pain began.
A heavy burden
To bear day by day,
While her joints burn, and the pain leaves her
Left only to pray.