A thing called Cancer

This is a story poem, based on the life of my cousin... Jackie Plant

 

 

Vibrant and young and beautiful she was,

Her flowing dark hair reached down to her back

Her skin was light and her cheeks were rosy,

She was sensitive and happy, and silly and loving

The kind of person  one would not soon forget,

The kind of person who lit up a room

Not arrogant or boastful or cunning or spiteful

Finding pleasure in all of life's smallest things

Sunsets and sunrises and the stars in the sky

The smell of fresh cut grass, and  the rain over the ocean.

But most of all her child was her pride and her joy

taking first place in her heart followed close by her husband,

Wanting only from life to be the best mother

And to have a good marriage, and be a good wife.

 

In came the doctors and out came the news

She was sick, very sick, with everything to loose,

Even with those dark scary words

She didn't loose faith, or hope, or her brightness

She would fight with everything she could

Because she was a mother, and her baby needed her.

 

And then came the Chemo, and out came that beautiful long hair

Next came the radiation and the transplants as well

And still her spirit did not break

Now she could be a blond with the help from a wig,

And she always wanted to lose a few pounds!

"It's the cancer diet,"  that's what she called it, and it came in rounds

No, nothing could bring this sweet angel down!

  

The doctors tried and tried, but the cancer just grew

"A few more months is all that's left"

But her fight lasted a few more years

No, cancer couldn't take her down, not yet 

 

But after a while, it began to take it's toll

Some days she was happy, some days she was not

Some times she just cried, some times she just slept.

Death was not her sorrow, that wasn't her fear

Leaving her young son is what made her eyes water

Missing him turn 4, and 5

Going for his first bike ride

Taking him to school his first day

Watching him and his friends all play

Watching him graduate, and meeting his girlfriend,

These are the things that broke her heart, that broke her spirit

 And then the day came

And Hospice came to help her find her way

And even with Death waiting near the foot of her bed-

She lay there beautiful with her rosy cheeks and her short soft hair

But there was no more joy dancing in her eyes

It was the twitches of pain that now filtered through

All the fight was gone

Her glow was fading

Her eyes squeezed shut with all the pain

And the nurses came

And gave her drugs to ease the suffering of death

And then, just like that, Dear Jackie was gone

 

One month after her death

Her husband heard the doctors give him the same news

But his spirit was much smaller,

A lot of it had left with her and

 Just Four months after her death

Her husband joined her too

And together from heaven

They watch over their son

They see him grow, and watch him play

And that little boy will always remember

The love of his parents

Both sent to the grave because of a thing called cancer

 

--- This is about my cousin who battled with a rare form of ovarian cancer. It was so rare, she was seeking help from doctors out of state. But no one could help her.

Her husband, Tony, died of a stomach cancer.

Their son Anthony, is now living with a cousin of Tonys, and is well.

 

 

Reviews

[Bhavya Kaushik]

I had tears in my eyes when I read this..
This is so heartwrenching...I can't tell how how emotional and exceptionally well this piece is..
This is so beautifully sad and touched the very core of me.
A very good friend of mine also fought with Cancer (leukemia) and I know how does it feels like....
You have expressed that feeling and the entire pain brilliantly over here.
Beautiful...
This is undoubtedly go to my favorites!

[dusk1107]

In the picture, Jackie is on the left, and I am on the right. Her son is in my arms, and my son is in her arms