cancer

Chemo: A Walk into the Jungle

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on . Posted in General-Literary Poems, Life Lessons Poems

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©2024 Susan Noyes Anderson

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It’s good, sometimes, to recognize
your fear and give it space,
to realize what’s eating you
so you can give it grace –
to walk into the jungle’s lair
with eyes wide open, knowing
that crocs and cobras watch and wait,
while jaguar eyes are glowing.

You pause to take a breath, stride forward,
brave the wild to save a life,
eat the herbs and drink the venom,
earn your spot beneath the knife.
Be diced, sliced, and reconstructed,
sewn up with a jungle spell –
then as the drums pound in your heart,
swill more vile brews to make you well.

This chemo jungle’s primitive,
uncivilized, and savage.
But it has power to lift and heal
beyond its power to ravage.
It’s good, sometimes, to recognize
your fear and give it space,
to frame in words what’s eating you
and give yourself some grace.

This chemo is refiner’s fire –
my slap in cancer’s face.

I’m giving us both grace.

∞∞∞

If this poem resonates with you, you might also relate to Flight to Freedom and Say Oncology.

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Susan Noyes Anderson

Susan Noyes Anderson is the author of At the End of Your Rope, There’s Hope, Deseret Book, ©1997; Awaken Your Spiritual Power: The Fairy Godmother Isn’t Coming!, Karisma Press, ©1999; and His Children (poetry only, photos are by Anita Schiller), Vantage Point Press, ©2003.

All material ©copyright of Susan Noyes Anderson

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