4 POEM: A Diagnosis of Cancer

A Diagnosis of Cancer


Every woman recalls the date of diagnosis.
She’s memorized the sledgehammer words
that pulverized life’s familiar patterns.
Exact phrases vary, but three words carry
the pronouncement nobody wishes to give:
You.
Have.
Cancer.
Shock catches the breath.
Disbelief stuffs the ears.
“I have WHAT?”

Outside, the world continues serenely in its madness.
In here, the mind struggles to wrap around this inky nightmare.
Her entire world has blown apart.
When she glues the pieces back together,
the image is never the same.


Written by Angela Patterson
Copyright Angela Patterson 2006

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