Nonsense verse has long been a gentle rebellion against the tyranny of logic. For those of us living with chronic conditions like MS, it can be more than entertainment — it’s a form of resilience. A well-placed rhyme or surreal image can momentarily disarm chronic pain, that unwelcome guest who overstays its visit.
By weaving discomfort into playful absurdity, we remind ourselves that we are more than our symptoms. This is not denial. It’s defiance — and defiance, in its silliest form, can be quite healing. So let’s loosen the screws of sensibility and allow the ridiculous to run rampant.
Dancing Through the Discomfort
Introduction to Verse
This verse isn’t medical advice — unless your doctor is a flamingo with a clipboard. It’s simply a poetic detour through the peculiar pathways chronic pain sometimes takes, especially when viewed through the looking-glass of the absurd.
A wibble of chronic pain
A wibble of chronic pain climbed up my shoe,
It hummed like a hedgehog and sniffed like a shrew.
It perched on my ankle and made a soft moan,
Then asked if I’d kindly just leave it alone.
A jam tart in spectacles offered me toast,
While chronic pain danced with a peppermint ghost.
It pirouetted boldly on top of my spleen,
Then tiptoed through nettles while muttering “green.”
My elbow declared it had rights to complain,
So I countered with logic — and chronic pain.
It juggled my thoughts in a sieve made of string,
While hiccuping haikus about nothing in spring.
A penguin in flip-flops gave me a grin,
And painted a whisker right under my chin.
He said, “That’s for luck,” then vanished in fog,
As chronic pain sat in my tea like a log.
I tried bribing it with a crisp apple pie,
But it argued that apples were drier than sky.
I offered a hammock — it opted for thorns,
Then rewrote my bedtime in riddles and horns.
The mayor of my kneecap suggested a vote,
On whether chronic pain should wear trousers or float.
We all raised our spoons in unanimous cheer,
While it giggled and pinched me behind my left ear.Reflection
The absurdity of nonsense verse doesn’t solve chronic pain, but it offers a strange and unexpected comfort. To laugh — even wryly — at something that otherwise dominates your days is a subtle kind of victory. Chronic pain tends to shrink the world, narrowing your choices and dulling your senses. But nonsense invites expansion.
It expands the imagination, the smile lines, and sometimes even the breath. When the brain fog settles or the muscles revolt, sometimes all we can do is give those sensations a ridiculous name and watch them dance about in ill-fitting shoes. That moment of levity may not be a cure, but it’s a salve — and sometimes, that’s enough.
The following links might lead you deeper into my world:
Conclusion
Living with chronic pain means walking a peculiar tightrope between acceptance and resistance. But nonsense verse builds us a safety net — not to catch us when we fall, but to let us bounce. In this whimsical world, pain isn’t ignored; it’s dressed up, painted blue, and asked politely to behave at a tea party. It doesn’t always comply, of course.
Pain is unruly by nature. But in choosing silliness, we remember that not everything must be serious to be sincere. Especially for MSers — whose days are often filled with unpredictability — a moment of daftness can bring unexpected light. And in that light, pain may not vanish, but it might just stop humming show tunes in your shoe.
If you enjoyed this whimsical take on chronic pain, you’ll find more joyful wordplay and lyrical mischief in my full collection of nonsense verse.
There are many methods of pain management that you can call on in your battle with chronic pain.
We started this exciting, nonsensical journey from landing page for this section.
