About six months after I finished all of my cancer treatments, I was finally able to write a poem about it. I was at a writers’ conference, and I was given a prompt to write a poem that had a car in it. This is what came out.
Pucker
(originally published in F.I.N.D.I.N.G.S.)
The gods line up
to kiss my left breast.
Divine dimples appear
as I raise my left arm.
A star appears
on my windshield, too,
when a wayward stone
hits me on the expressway,
loud as a gun’s report.
I duck under glass.
I’m wounded again.
Asterisk marks the spot.
I imagine a magical
crystalline fountain
springing out of the ground
and into my chest.
Instead I get
anti-nausea medicines,
a large red syringe
injected so slowly.
My family is grateful
that my car is drivable
and fearful
that I will drive it.
I reassure them
I can still see the road.
Another small stone
and I could be shattered.
Question: Have you ever had difficulty writing about a topic until some time had passed? If so, share it in a comment below.
You are indeed a gifted poet!
That is a lovely poem! Congrats on completing your cancer treatment and now being able to write about it.
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Thanks. The cancer was 10 years ago, but it remains an important stepping stone in my transformation.
A poignant and powerful poem! I’m glad you found the space to write it – it feels like such a huge step when that happens.
Thank you! And thanks for the opportunity to visit your beautiful website.