The Nakedness
6-22-2015
by:; Christine Stoddard – Arlington, VA
My hair made me a diligent farmer proud of generations’ worth of tilling
I conditioned and combed with a stewardship reserved for the sacred
I could not eat my hair but it nourished me in a different way:
with compliments, flirting, dates — attention
Then the cancer came
and a different attention arrived
People always asked questions that really meant,
“When are you going to die?”
But I keep my doctor’s prognosis close
to the breast I no longer have.
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5-23-2015
Donna C. Slone-Crumbie from Lexington, Kentucky
thank you so much, very insightful!
"Cancer’s Impact”
C hanged me
A djusted my attitude
N umbered my days
C reated a purpose driven life
E rased memories
R enewed my focus.
“The Fear”
I went to Hawaii
to get away
I didn’t think of you
not one day!
But when I got back
there you were
reminding me
that one day you
may come again,
to stay.
“No Respecter of Persons”
We speak a different language
We serve a different God
I wear a wig, you have a hijab.
Our eyes share a secret, yet
I don’t even know your name,
But as chemo flows through
Our veins, we are the same.
Poem By: Omarr RaSharjd Lee From Washington D.C.
4-9-2015
NEVER GIVE UP!
In your battle with cancer,
Believe you have what it takes ,
Believe you have a heart that never breaks, therefore
You must never lose hope, and You must never show fear,
As the path to complete remission can be seen so clear, therefore
The phrase: Making the impossible come to life,
Must be your motivation,
Having faith, and trust in the Lord,
Will make you feel elation,
As your heart, and soul is steadily racing,
To the finish line.
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2-13-2015 From: Elayne Lansing
I received an e-mail from Elayne Lansing who was a radiation therapist for 32 years.
She wrote this poem to honor all her patients and friends who have taken the breast cancer journey. Enjoy.
I Fought Like a Girl
By Elayne Lansing
Based on the cancer journeys of my friends & my patients
A battle was about to begin
When I found I had cancer cells within
They are cells that refuse to die
Not surprising, because so do I.
My plan was to stare it in the face
Find the doctor who would be best for my case
Fight it with prayer, courage, and grace.
But it had an agenda all its own
Insidious, and to me, still unknown.
Round One: It was Cancer’s
I came out slow as I searched for answers.
My world went from structured and sane
To one of chaos, as I felt my strength drain
(My friends and family helped me sustain).
Round Two: I came out stronger…
It wasn’t going to dominate any longer
I wanted to go the distance
I had it on the ropes
And I started to see there was reason to hope.
Chemo really packed a punch
Yet I had to wonder….
Are the cells still dividing
Or are they down for the count and dying?
I heard the crowd cheer, “Hang On – Stay Strong!”
Round three: The money was on me….
My radiation was doing a cancer annihilation.
I felt I had changed in a way hard to explain
I had learned how to cope
And saw my life in a broader scope
Optimism took the place of fear
Smiles took the place of tears.
Life didn’t stop as the battle went on
Some relationships strengthened, others waned
I wasn’t immune to life’s other pains.
KNOCKOUT: The battle is now over…
In some ways life’s better
I’m more prepared to face whatever
Nothing’s taken for granted
But a high price to pay to get to this day.
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9-11-2014 by: Elana Carr
If Only You Could Know
If only you could know how it feels . . .
To be told you have Breast Cancer,
To know you have to endure the uncertainty of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.
If only you could know how it feels . . .
As the drugs of chemotherapy enter your body and make you feel sick and weak,
As you just begin to feel better and the chemotherapy starts again only to make you feel sick and weak once more,
As you watch in the mirror while your head is shaved so you won’t have to see your hair fall out,
As you fool the world and wear a wig so no one knows anything is wrong with you,
As you have to rely on others to help you with things that were once so easy and routine.
If only you could know how it feels . . .
To have your body disfigured,
To go alone everyday for radiation treatments and come home and go to sleep,
To suffer the burns and fatigue of radiation.
If only you could know how it feels . . .
To try and keep a positive attitude,
To worry about caring for an aging parent and pet,
To worry about losing your job and paying the bills,
To worry about getting better and to wonder if you will stay Cancer free…
If only you could know how it feels . . .
To have your body finally begin to feel normal again,
To watch as your precious hair slowly begins to grow back,
To look in the mirror and see a strong, beautiful person who can proudly say “I am a survivor”.
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