VERTEBRAE

I’ve heard people say—

Humans intrigue me.

Wait! Human bodies don’t.

Well, what’s the strongest bone in the body?

Vertebrae is not!

Irregular-shaped bones

Keep regulars in place.

Once you get a disc slip,

Sciatica awaits.

Maintains posture of your body,

Helps to make you stand.

Once you bend more than asking,

You lost what was once intact.

Dense is something powerful,

Hollow is something vast.

Tunnel it allows for one to follow

That leads to the surface fast.

It bears the weight of burdens—

Of books, of bags, of blame.

Each vertebra stacks silently,

Yet none of them seeks fame.

They say, “Grow a spine!” in anger,

Not knowing what it takes—

To hold yourself through shaking days

And never let it break.

From crawling forms to standing tall,

It grew with every stride.

The vertebrae, once hunched and small,

Now let ambition ride.

But twist it wrong, or fall too hard,

Its silence turns to screams—

The pain that shoots through limbs and thoughts

Can fractures even dream?

Yet given rest and gentle care,

It learns to mend and bend—

The spine may crack, but still it dares

To rise and hold you once again.

Dominance is not the only strength—

Recessive plays its part.

Submission isn’t a weakness, no—

Everyone has a heart.