Endo warrior.
Bravely fighting for breath somewhere between bloodbath
And deep painful chasm of menstrual despair
Adenomyosis crippling.
She took the apple from the tree
To set her free
Unaware of the invisible worm it carried deep inside.
It burrowed its way inside her,
It perforated her uterus
It wormed its way deep inside her pelvis.
And came to rest 3mm from her spine.
Mirena
Bayer’s little game-changer.
It changed her game forever.
Her hair fell out, her eyes bled,
Fevers ravaged her body
Her insides turned to poison.
And Arthritis set in.
The invisible worm
No crimson joy
It nearly did her life destroy.
©Alison Jean Hankinson
This for d’verse where we were asked to use symbolism and I wanted to use “the invisible worm”.
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis blight the lives of many women. Unfortunately, the Mirena is another one of those medical catastrophes that were intended to give hope but for some caused irreparable and devastating damage and consequences.
The image was created by sammydavisdog on Flickr.
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Hues of Hankinson 
I didn’t see your image at the top at first, but I still thought of Blake’s poem immediately… actually a perfect example of a symbolic poem.
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Nice use of the apple with the invisible worm as a symbol.
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The worm in the apple eating its way to the heart of things is a powerful image.
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It is like Eve and the apple. she thought it would be the answer instead it brought more misery and punishment. Xxxx
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Eve was conned too.
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Oh this is indeed darkly symbolic. The inclusion of Eve in that one stanza takes it layers beyond what it might have been otherwise. Perfect title for this profoundly sad poem.
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It is highly probable that Big Pharma was aware of adverse side effects – but what do they care, money is money.
Sad story, well told Alison.
Anna
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I am a physician assistant but have gotten into a role where I discourage medicines — they are dangerous and marketed even though the sellers know this. I hate it. Sorry
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I love your comparison of the worm in Eves Apple with the curse of the fall and all that has plagued us since. Very good poem.
Dwight
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Many thanks to you. XX
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I love the symbolism of Eve and that invisible worm ~ I felt helpless at the life destroyed ~
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I could ride with the first two stanzas. Great!
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Ugh. This is rather heartbreaking. Thank you for shining the light on a bit of darkness.
The use of the apple, and all the symbolism it holds, Biblically and otherwise, is definitely
spot on.
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It is and I fear it will be many years before some of the true horror is acknowledged.
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I too thought of Blake before seeing the image and of Eve’s curse. The invisible worm is apt and you’ve described the condition vividly, Alison.
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Thankyou. XX
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😊 xxx
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The invisible worm…..the inclusion of Eve in the poem….the life-changing effect of man-made medications to control women’s bodily functions and the severe problems many have wrought…I think for example of thalidomide…and Miren….and there was also a medication prescribed in the 70s for nausea during pregnancy that turned out to be very problematic as well. Mirren….as the invisible worm…eating away at the insides as it is inside…powerful indeed.
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I liked the symbolism here… and the allusion to Eve is divine! Oh the things women have to go through…sigh..
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