Thoughts about this cancer thing

I have thought about Reginald Mitchell who designed the famous WWII fighter, the Spitfire, that conquered the Luftwaffe's famous Messerschmitt Bf109 in the Battle of Britain. The rest, as they say, is history!

Mitchell was diagnosed with cancer in 1933. Rather than take it easy at doctor's orders he threw himself into the design and prototype construction of the Spitfire. He died in June 1937. But shortly before that, he would be seen beside the aerodrome, watching prototypes of the Spitfire being put through their paces. It seems that his commitment to develop that great airplane extended his life by a two or three of years, giving him great satisfaction.

Below is some free verse, some of it original, and some of it quoted from the Bible, to talk about the fear, hope, and love aspects of cancer recovery.

This cancer thing 
(with some quotes)

Fear

“i’m surprised

you’re still alive –

you could be dead

in five

or ten

minutes”

the surgeon said

that was before i nearly died

and before i woke up

(nearly) dead

The monster within

you are sinister

a hide-and-seek now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t monster –

you are evil incarnate

you are cold grey iron – lurking – hiding

in your face there is darkness and dismay and

the cold grey eyes and pale bloodless skin of death

your hair is the colour of cremation’s fire

you wear a long black cloak – perhaps to smother each victim

neither male or female –

you are outside of time and space in this universe.

Hope

i must embrace my illness

as my best friend

who will lead me

into happiness

and joy

"there is hope of a tree
if it be cut down
that it will sprout again
and that the tender branch thereof
will not cease
though the root thereof wax old in the earth
and the stock thereof die in the ground
yet through the scent of water it will bud
and bring forth boughs" 

Love

"there is no fear in love;

but perfect love casts out fear –

fear has torment –

he that fears

is not made perfect in love"

"God has not given us

the spirit of fear –

but of power

and of love

and of a sound mind"

"a new commandment i give unto you –

that you love one another –

as i have loved you

that you also love

one another"

I am taking radiation to smash the tumours on not two, but three, locations on my spine. Two of them are at both ends, at my tailbone and at the base of my skull. the other is in the middle of my back. This latter one has given me no pain at all and without the CT scan I would have no idea there was a problem. I will be going home from Edmonton to Inuvik on January 6, 2018. The Cross Cancer Institute people are very proficient and very caring, which provides extra support and hope for the future.