Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Cancer



Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. 
-Edward Abbey, naturalist and author 



“The failure to think positively can weigh on 
a cancer patient like a second disease.” 
― Barbara EhrenreichBright-Sided . . .  


“When one person gets cancer, the whole family gets cancer.” 
― Shirley CorderStrength Renewed . . . 







Midweek Motif ~ Cancer


4th February 2015 is World Cancer Day.

 "Taking place under the tagline ‘Not beyond us,’ World Cancer Day 2015 will take a positive and pro-active approach to the fight against cancer, highlighting that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and that they are within our reach."  


(Please explore the World Cancer Day website for information and ideas.)


Your Challenge:  Treat a cancer and/or a cure poetically.   Emotions and Insights are welcome.

~
Snow White to the Prince  
By Chris Tus

          (after Susan Thomas )

Truth is, my life was no fairytale, 
that afternoon, I lay, a smiling corpse 
under a glass sky, a rotten apple 
lodged in my throat like a black lump 
of cancer, your sloppy kiss dying on my lips. 
. . . . 

          (Read more HERE at Poetry Soup.com)


Doctors 
By Anne Sexton 

They work with herbs 
and penicillin 
They work with gentleness 
and the scalpel. 
They dig out the cancer, 
close an incision 
and say a prayer 
to the poverty of the skin. 
. . . . 

(Read more HERE at Poetry Soup.com)


“Why should I have been surprised?
Hunters walk the forest
without a sound.
The hunter, strapped to his rifle,
the fox on his feet of silk,
the serpent on his empire of muscles—
all move in a stillness,
hungry, careful, intent.
Just as the cancer
entered the forest of my body,
without a sound.” 

― Mary OliverBlue Horses: Poems

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For those who are new to Poets United:  
  1. Share only original and new work written for this challenge. 
  2. Post your new cancer poem on your site, and then link it here.
  3. If you use a picture include its link.  
  4. Leave a comment here.
  5. Visit and comment on our poems.
(Our next Midweek Motif is LOVE is not a greeting card!)


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25 comments:

  1. Thank you for this prompt - I have been thinking and worrying about it for a week and wondered where it would go. Perhaps in my usual left of field way I was trying to indicate that any illness that eats away your soul is a cancer of sorts..and on that cheery note - happy Wednesday and looking forward to the next challenge

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, welcome. Cancer is an apt metaphor as well as a grim reality. You are most welome.

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  2. Cancer is often invisible, certainly silent. But let it speak in poetry today--or YOU talk-- over around and beyond it. I am looking forward to your poems, today and through Friday.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a post and am connected.

      Need to proofread my typing more closely. Sorry for the deletion.

      Delete
  4. Talkk about typing. Did you know we were Pets United? I better fix that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pets United! I'm all over that! LOL. I posted one written in 2010, Susan. I didnt think I could write about cancer any better than I did when my son was first going through it.

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    2. I, too, was tempted to do that. Others above did the same. How can I complain when such power comes throough? I am delighted, moved to read your amazing poem.

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Thank you, Brian--for posting your sensitive poem and helping Us all.

      Delete
  6. Something wrong with my Mr. Linky connection?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. http://somethingsithinkabout-annell-annell.blogspot.com/

      I got you...the above is the correct link for those reading...

      Delete
    3. Thanks, Brian and Annell--It works now in the linky. Good teamwork.

      Delete
    4. I hope everyone goes bak to read your amazing poem, Annell. Blew my mind.

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Thank you for posting, Ollie. You aced this poem.

      Delete
  8. It's one of those topics that is hard not to be emotional about. I wrote about societal cancer as I could wrap my head around the pain of that. I did link a poem I just wrote about the accusation of cancer.
    Happy Wednesday to each of you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Midweek to you too. I expected emotion ... why hide it? Thank you for the Akhmatova poem, too. She is one who totally enters complex and devastating emotions.

      Delete
  9. Good prompt Susan. It comes at a time when I think about it often.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for posting, Myrna. I too have come too close ...

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  10. This was difficult for me to write as it stirred some strong emotions.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These poems are so wonderful that I'm thinking we should challenge each other to go where it hurts more often! Any thoughts about that?

    ReplyDelete

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