Nights are full of mud
packed with disease
that won’t shift, or
ease the pain of moving
under a swamp duvet.
I heave through dirt
letting my eyes sink
with a mossy load.
Legs pick heavy fights
and a spine that’s
soaked, twists a gift
to the night trolls –
broken nerves,
sliced by dark matter.
Dreams lie on wetland
bulging with decay
and are slit open
before they end.
You can watch them drown.
Julie Stevens has had Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for 30 years. Her poems tend to reflect the impact MS has on her life, as well as other topics close to her heart. Her poems have recently been published in various magazines, online and in print, most recently The Blue Nib, The Honest Ulsterman, Dodging the Rain and Dreich. Her chapbook Quicksand has recently been published by Hybrid Press having come second in the Dreich Chapbook Competition. Her website is: www.jumpingjulespoetry.com.
More work by Julie Stevens
Tel: 028 7126 6946
Email: hueditor@theverbal.co
Verbal, Stable Lane and Mall Wall, Bishop Street Within, Derry/Londonderry, BT48 6PU
companyCopyright © 2026 Honest Ulsterman