The Birth of an Angel
by
James Shammas
(Age: 44)
copyright 07-03-2005
Age Rating: 10 to 127
The ovarian cancer had finally spread.
She fought the fight for five years and counting,
Still smiling with cheeks hollowed and red,
Head lifted lightly on soft pillows mounting.
Confined to bed, she surrenders to live
Each dawning day as last and first,
Unable to take, yet open to give
What's freely given and never rehearsed.
Strange, the beauty in her breastbone so pointed,
Her withered limbs spread out for God's grace,
A mother's caress of each hand anointed,
The sweet curves of her gaunt glowing face.
For a living pieta seems standing before me,
And my once skeptic knees drop down before thee.
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This poem skillfully highlights how suffering and death bring out the nobility in us. I specially like the lines-
"Unable to take, yet open to give
What's freely given and never rehearsed"
A wonderful touching poem.
Veera
This especially hits close to home, as I know someone with a cancer in those "regions". I would say Ovarian, but I'm not exactly sure if that's it. Luckily, from what we know, she'll be all right, but it's still horrifying.
This work is beautiful. Your rhyme scheme and flow are always so magnificent in your works. I think the only problem I really noticed (well, noticed at all for that matter) was that you spelled "finally" wrong in the first line.
Email me when it's fixed, and I'll be glad to give you your points :)
James, your poem brought tears to my eyes. Guess I'm one of the lucky ones whose cervical cancer didn't spread into a case of uterine cancer. Wonderful write.
Nancy
This is extremely difficult for me to read, let alone digest. How feeble and frail life can make of us is something to ponder. I had a hard time with this one and only because it reminded me once again of my own mortality. My prayers to all those facing this situation and may God save a spot in his house for their courage and fortitude!
Thanks, all for commenting and calling. Mary S. and her daughter are both my patients. Mary will lose her daughter likely this week and has shown remarkable courage and acceptance. This a prayer for both of them and what they have taught and given me.
James, this is so lovely and sad and uplifting...I know what went before as I am a survivor of both ovarian and cervical cancer. There was a special group of woman that were being treated in the same hospital as I and together we celebrated each bit of good news and grieved for each bit that wasn't so good and eventually sometimes had to say goodbye to one us....I know what this woman endured trying to live and I know that indeed an angel was born after life ended. I wish I could have had your poem to read back then when I lost so many comrades in the cancer battles....It is beautiful, that's all I can say.
Welcome !
