41 POEM: On a Good Day

On a Good Day


When asked today how I’m doing,
I say, “Today’s a good day.”
I don’t mean it in the Klingon way,
“Today’s a good day to die.”
I mean that I have energy again.
I can take care of myself
and all the details of life.
Today the nausea sleeps.
My muscles and joints don’t ache.
I can walk fast.
No haze of pain clouds my thoughts today.
This is how I will feel once all the chemo treatments are done.
This feeling will keep the bottles washed and the diapers stacked.
Today I feel better than the days before they said, “Cancer.”
Today I’m a dancer in a beautiful ensemble of improving health.
My slice of solo time dazzling and inspired.
In two days I will ache in a shifting landscape of muscles and joints.
My fingers and toes will go numb.
But I have survived 6 out of 8 treatments so far.
Today is a good day.
I’m smiling. Little happy thoughts dangle
in my head. I swallow the thoughts and survive.
Soon I’ll be even better; I’ll thrive.


Written by Angela Patterson
Copyright Angela Patterson 2006

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