Cancer



It's like watching a slow-motion train wreck,
The horror of cancer taking over their body,
You see them slowly melting away,
Becoming just a mere shell of their former self.

It's hard to fathom that this is the same person,
Whose strong embrace you once sought for comfort,
Whose once robust laugh now replaced by the sound of labored breathing,
Whose once lively eyes now clouded with pain.

The memories of your parent grow older with time,
Their voice becoming more and more of a shadow,
As you fight to remember every good moment,
Every smile and every laugh.

It's a constant battle,
To hold on to every morsel of their essence,
To keep their spirit alive in your heart,
While watching them fade away.

It's a lesson in loss,
A realization that life is fleeting,
That every moment together is a precious gift,
And that the pain of losing them will never truly fade.     

And you can't be comforted like others.
Because you don't care who walked on water,
Or hearing who gave sight to the blind
When you wish you could be blinded to this horror.

About this poem

For Jimmy Strickland (1957-2005)

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Written on May 18, 2023

Submitted by JoeStrickland on May 18, 2023

1:06 min read
16

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXAX XXBX XXXX XXXA XBXX XCXC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,056
Words 216
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Joe Strickland

I'm just a regular, blue collar, working stiff who took an interest in writing poetry many years ago but until recently I haven't had a desire to share any with anyone or pursue publication. I'm an unpublished fork lift operator by night, and a day drinker by choice. I can be followed on Twitter @JoeStricklandSC more…

All Joe Strickland poems | Joe Strickland Books

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    "Cancer" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/159690/cancer>.

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