 |
| Myosotis sylvatica (wood forget-me-not) |
skin cells berserk, pale blotch of pink and red
fast growing weeds to pluck from garden beds
the crab is crawling, humming cancer can-
cer-tainly hold tight, will not say goodnight
she is born under the sign of the crab—
cancer—walking sideways, telling truth slant
body pieces discarded coast to coast and
biopsy cutouts in bottles of she
stomach slice in Philadelphia
hysterectomy in San Francisco
sun skin sun skin sun skin sun skin sun skin
closest star and biggest organ dancing
skin cells berserk, pale blotch of pink and red,
fast growing beauty marks on tissue fed
cancer cells angry, raised, fuzzy dark with
swiftly growing storm clouds growling in sky
in the darkest hour, people find and friend
her, bring food and tea, wash her feet, their hands
Posted for my prompt Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Cancer.
Note that Hippocrates named the disease "cancer"
which is the Greek word for "crab."
Copyright © 2015 S.L.Chast
Excellent and powerful........!!
ReplyDeletefelt the clutch of this... slowly strangling
ReplyDeleteWell said and so deeply sad
ReplyDeleteEverything everyone else has said and so much more. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteAwesome write, Susan.
ReplyDeleteI felt the scritching progress of the crab-cancer. This poem has enormous impact. Cancer is everywhere now. I am glad, at the darkest hour, people came to friend and tend her. Those are the beautiful hours of that illness. There are so many compassionate tenders out there. Thank heavens!
ReplyDeletemy father has gone over 100 skin cancer surgeries at this point...never considered it as a kid out there on the rings at the pool...he looks like he has been through a cheese grater when he takes off his shirt....I like how you mixed in the astrological sign as well susan...
ReplyDeleteI know someone who hate their zodiac sign...cancer.
ReplyDeleteyou approached the subject with grace.
we need more crab and less cancer cells
ReplyDeleteI love the line she is born under the sign of the crab...even if you move sideways there are some things you can't side step...also the flowers and the unseen growth...so simple..cell mutation..over growth..but so devastating..a person with tea and care certainly eases the load
ReplyDeleteCancer however makes it worse by taking away dignity; as well of course do other diseases. If by lucky chance cures are found for the many cancers will we still have an uncanny knack for still crowding out the hospitals by our lifestyle choices.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautifully done, tragic yet beautiful...
ReplyDeleteVery powerul write. Your poem is ugly and frightening as it should be. Your talent though is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou have characterized cancer cells well. Hard to read (gulp), but you expressed reality as it is!
ReplyDeleteUnder the sign of cancer struggling for survival. A wonderfully written dark poem.
ReplyDeleteI felt the pulling apart in this sad poem. Well done.
ReplyDeleteHideous disease that has touched us all in one way or another...and still no cure !
ReplyDeleteOh my, and the crab comes from the sea, and maybe so do we...perhaps it comes as a helper after all, only dressed as a crab.
ReplyDeleteBorn under the sign of the crab... this ties it all together. So well done, Susan.
ReplyDeleteWonderful tie-in with Cancer. Great expression of the caring and trips needed for the medical work.
ReplyDelete