strength
is the emptiness that fills

           and claws from the inside

strength
is standing on two feet

            and shaking

strength
is a spinning head

            and an empty mind

strength
is dark shadows underneath empty eyes

           and one, two, three, four ribs they see

strength
is feeling life slowly deteriorate

            and slip through bony fingers

color draining from sunken cheeks
pale skin falling away from fragile bones
shallow breaths puffing through a broken body
heavy eyelids raising against the struggle

             and seeing