A poem about the impact of cancer treatment and the road to recovery

IT BEGAN ON A THURSDAY


it began on a Thursday
around eight A M …

when a few loose strands
broke free from the
foaming sunsilk crown
and tangled around her fingers
before joining the rivulets
that rained down her body
from the fountain above
… long sleek eels
heading for the Sargossa
through the passage of the drain

and with each new day
the exodus continued
the last colouring of her youth
uniting with the greying cap of age
… a rush of lemmings
heading for the cliff edge
of the plug hole
eager to be gone
from the toxic invasion
of her damaged body

only the strongest remained
sparse in number
and unattractive to behold
yet they gave her hope
for the future
as they stood
like lone sentries
in defiance of the rejection
determined to defeat
the enemy within

* * * *

it began to return
… on another day

that was unremarkable
in its sameness
to the days of the falling
slowly and unobtrusively
in the weeks that followed
the whispy halo
transformed into
a curl, and then a tress
that kissed her shoulders
and warmed her back
in a symbolic tribute
to her wellness


~ Merlene Fawdry ~ 2004