Debbie Petrovsky, a woman with ALS residing in Massachusetts, pens poetry to articulate her experience living with the disease. Her unique expression is unique to her experience yet offers insight for those looking to learn more about the challenges of ALS.

"This was my first fall I had due to ALS. I was at a beach park with my husband and son. They left for a walk. I stayed back to sit, look at the sparkling sea and to do yoga."

Fallen Warrior

At the beach, this was my alone time.
My time to daydream, reflect, stretch, do anything I choose  
It was also, my time to fall. 

Falling out of Warrior One.
The bench was there.
My feet were planted, or weren't they?
What happened?
Suddenly I was afloat in the air seeing blue sky,
until my head hit the ground

Shock, confusion, upheaval, pain took hold.  
My body, mine, on the ground sobbing, drooling, mute.

Where’s my phone? I can’t reach it.
Where’s my pillow; not here, it’s at home
Where are YOU?
I was able to lift my head to see…. not a soul.

Scapula driving into the dirt like an Indian Spearhead.
Every sob shook my fragile body against the hard ground
until I finally stopped
I knew I was okay
For that I was grateful

The perpetual question asked of me at every doctor's appointment,
“Have you fallen in the past year?” 
I breezily answered “No, of course not. Me?”
I don’t fall.
How dare you insinuate, a gymnast, a ballerina, a yogi?
Preposterous! 

From a “have not”, to a fallen

Grey clouds moved across the sky adding a modicum of more drama. 
Would I now get soaked?
I used to run between the raindrops

I hear casual chatter coming near.
Relief sets in.
“Hi Mom, doing yoga on the ground?” 

How does one pick up a scared crumpled heap of human?
Where does one start? How will this end? 

- Debbie Petrovsky