Cancer

Who of us have not had to confront cancer yet? Whether the battle was a personal one, or that of loved one, we all had to cross paths with it. My friend was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed out of this life much too soon. The trauma of seeing the effects of the tumor as it spread to different parts of her brain, forced me to write this poem.

Cancer
(To Jeanette and the multitudes like her who had to ward off the same adversary)

It arrived unannounced and settled in without knocking.
Like an unwelcome guest, who stays too long,
fails to contribute to the household,
and devours everything in sight, it remained.

I watched you dying slowly, in bits and pieces.
First you started walking with a limp,
having lost most function in the right side of your body.
I felt sorry for you, but if I had known then that eventually
you would not be able to sit up straight in a wheelchair,
I would have celebrated your mobility.

It became difficult to visit, because of my guilt;
my guilt over your having to get up to open the door,
my guilt over my health and enjoyment of life,
my sense of inadequacy when it came to making you more comfortable.

You stopped walking,
you stopped emailing,
you stopped phoning,
you stopped talking,
you stopped eating,
you stopped laughing.

I watched you dying,
painfully, slowly.
It broke my heart when I encouraged you to go …
my courage failed where yours prevailed.

You went from hospital,
to home care,
to Hospice,
to frail care,
to dying.

You stopped being.

An original poem by Miekie (Marietjie Uys).

'n Oorspronklike gedig deur Miekie (Marietjie Uys).

Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy my books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
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