If you are feeling creative then here’s the place to do it. Send it to me and I’ll publish it here for you.
This poem was written by a lovely guy called Chris Salmen. It just sums up his own cancer in his head, and it does in mine as well.
I’ve written poems myself about things in general and my cancer and how it’s affected my head…who knows one day I may feel able to share them with you. Watch out….!
This poem came from the following website : http://www.caringbridge.org/ca/christophersfight/. I don’t know who Tony Williams is, but his poem is very moving. Once again, I have written to ask permission to use this poem.
Cancer
Can you but feel my sorrow, can you feel my pain,
or even see my tears falling like rain,
know of the sickness and of the strain,
all of this I must endure again and yet again.
All of the drugs, the chemicals too,
the treatments I go though,
from all those injections,
come bruises often black and blue.
Now I look so different, now often I look strange,
for in this battle my body must change,
to defeat this cruel killer,
my life I must re-arrange.
Cells in my body are me trying to kill,
to win this great fight I must have the will,
your help and love is all that I ask,
to get me though this onerous task.
Every day and every night,
against this cancer I must battle and fight,
while I cry and weep,
this single thought I keep.
Reclaim my life, reclaim my right,
keeps me going night after night,
to live and to love as is my right,
I will not surrender, I will always fight.
Tony Williams – Broken Hill NSW
I came across this poem on a website called http://abc-survivors.net and it has some lovely words from one friend to another. I’ve written to ask if I can use the poem on my site.
Final Thoughts
When I come to the end of the road,
and the sun has set for me.
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room.
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little—but not too long,
and not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that was once shared.
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take,
and each must go alone.
It’s all a part of the master’s plan,
a step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart,
go to the friends we know.
Bear your sorrow in good deeds.
Miss me, but let me go.
Poem by Chris Salmen
If my cancer were a person
Who would my cancer be?
Who is my morbid invader,
Who grows and lives inside of me
Would he is my killer?
Alive only to defeat my Individuality
My world, my life is now only to fight,
Drugs and sickness being my only remedy
I’m Always Alone, Always fighting,
Always facing, an elusive enemy
But, is it that my cancer is hope
And the strength I now find in my humanity
Oh, but I forget, its so easy to see
For my cancer is not another person
My cancer is now a part of me
A New Year…
We’ve seen the passing of another year.
For many it’s been filled with pain and tears.
We’ve seen our loved ones in their decline.
We’ve had to accept that they won’t be fine.
Some of us had to say good bye,
To a long time loved one, and we’ve all cried.
But there have been times in this past year,
That certain events have brought us cheer.
There are so many friends that are on the list,
And I know there’s names I will have missed.
But better friends I could not have bought.
And here is just a New Year’s thought.
If it were possible that a wish could come true,
Then this is my New Year’s wish for you.
May the coming year be full of hope,
And may we be given the strength to cope.
Let courage, faith and patience abound.
And let us pray that a cure will be found.
And now at the close of another year,
My friends, I wish you a Happy New Year.
This verse was given to me by Mum and John when I came out of the UCH London after my ERCP problems. John said if you give that to Karen now (whilst I was in the hospital) she’ll chuck it back and swear! Good job they waited until I was out of hospital. They did ask what I would’ve done if they’d given it to me and I said exactly what John had said I would!
Don’t Quit
When things go wrong
as they sometimes will,
when the road you’re trudging
seems all uphill.
When the funds are low
and the debts are high
and you want to smile
but you have to sigh
when care is pressing you down a bit
rest if you must but don’t you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt
and you never can tell
how close you are
it may be near when it seems afar
so stick to the fight
when you’re hardest hit…
It’s when things seem worst
that you must not quit!
© WPL 2000
This next one was given to me by my good friend Carol. Thanks for the angel!
May you always have an angel by your side
May you always have an angel by your side
Watching out for you in all the things you do
Reminding you to keep believing in brighter days
Finding ways for your wishes and dreams to take you to beautiful places
Giving you hope that is as certain as the sun
Giving you the strength of serenity as your guide
May you always have love and comfort and courage
And may you always have an angel by your side
May you always have an angel by your side
Someone there to catch you if you fall
Encouraging your dreams
Inspiring your happiness
Holding your hand and helping you through it all
In all of our days our lives are always changing
Tears come along as well as smiles
Along the roads you travel may the miles be a thousand times more lovely than lonely
May they give you gifts that never ever end
Someone wonderful to love and a dear friend in whom you can confide
May you have rainbows after every storm
May you have hopes to keep you warm
And may you always have an angel by your side.
© Douglas Pagels
What’s in a Smile?
A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who receive,
Without making poorer those who give,
It takes but a moment,
Yet the memory of it may last forever.
A smile creates happiness in the home,
Fosters goodwill in business,
And is the sign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weay,
Cheer to the discouraged,
Sunshine to the sad,
And is nature’s best antidote to trouble.
Yet a smile cannot be bough, begged,
Borrowed or stolen;
For it is something of no value to anyone.
Unless it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours.
No one needs a smile so much
As he who has none to give.
Anonymous
This one was sent to me by another good friend, where would we be without them?!?!? Thank you for sharing….
Why We’re Not Here
There has been a question
That has crossed everyone’s mind
It has plagued us all
From the beginning of time.
It’s been asked in churches
They haven’t a clue
It’s been asked in schools
But they’re asking you.
It’s been tackled by scholars,
Doctors, lawyers, and judges
And where writers have tried
We find only smudges.
Great thinkers have tried
And tried, and tried again
The closest of these I think
Was Mark Twain.
In the history of man
It remains unclear
And the question is
Why are we here.
To help out a bit
I have some suggestions
To find the right answers
You must ask the right questions.
Are we here to be the type
Who kills and destroys
Who builds themselves bombs
And plays with nuclear toys.
Surely we’re not here
To ravage the trees
The rivers, the lakes
The oceans and seas.
I don’t think we’re here
To learn how to hate
Nor to suppress
Enslave, or mutilate.
I know we’re not here
To watch children starving
Not with turkey politicians
Ripe for the carving.
I doubt that we’re here
To spread this disease
I doubt that we’re here
For any of these.
So what could it be
If none of the above
What of understanding
Compassion, and love.
With life so confusing
And answers so rare
I thought that just maybe
My thoughts I would share.
The ‘Crabby Old Woman’ poem came to me from my lovely friend Sara. Sounds an odd title but it’s a lovely poem…..have a read…..
Crabby Old Woman
What do you see, nurses?
What do you see?
What are you thinking
When you’re looking at me?
A crabby old woman,
Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit,
With faraway eyes?
Who dribbles her food
And makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice,
“I do wish you’d try!”
Who seems not to notice
The things that you do,
And forever is losing
A stocking or shoe?
Who, resisting or not,
Lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding,
The long day to fill?
Is that what you’re thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse,
You’re not looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am
As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding,
As I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of ten
With a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters,
Who love one another.
A young girl of sixteen
With wings on her feet
Dreaming that soon now
A lover she’ll meet.
A bride soon at twenty,
My heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows
That I promised to keep
At twenty-five now,
I have young of my own,
Who need me to guide
And a secure happy home.
A woman of thirty,
My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other
With ties that should last.
At forty, my young sons
Have grown and are gone,
But my man’s beside me
To see I don’t mourn.
At fifty, once more
Babies play round my knee,
Again we know children,
My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me,
My husband is dead,
I look at the future,
I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing
Young of their own,
And I think of the years
And the love that I’ve known.
I’m now an old woman
And nature is cruel;
‘Tis jest to make old age
Look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles,
Grace and vigor depart,
There is now a stone
Where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass
A young girl still dwells,
And now and again,
My battered heart swells.
I remember the joys,
I remember the pain,
And I’m loving and living
Life over again.
I think of the years
All too few, gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact
That nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people,
Open and see,
Not a crabby old woman;
Look closer . . see ME!!
Gods Promise
God didn’t promise days without pain,
laughter without sorrow or sun without rain.
But God did promise strength for the day
comfort for the tears and light for the way.
and all who believe in His kingdom above.
He answers their faith with everlasting love
God Bless
There Are Angels Watching Over You
If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
and share with you its beauty
On the days you’re feeling blue.
If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own;
A place to find serenity,
A place to be alone.
If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea,
But all these things I’m finding
are impossible for me.
I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair,
But let me be what I know best,
A friend who’s always there.
Two Boxes
I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black box,!
And all your joys in the gold.”
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
“I wonder where my sorrows could be!”
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
“My child, they’re all here with me..”
I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
“My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go.”
We should consider all of our friends a blessing. Send this to a
friend today just to let them know you are thinking of them and that
they are a joy in your life.
A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship you’ve granted to me.
This next poem came from my good friend Mike. It’s such a lovely poem that I had to share it with you (with Mike’s permission of course!). Even if things are bad at the moment, there is hope for the future…. 🙂
Gifts
The gifts I’d leave beneath your tree
Aren’t those that you can touch or see
Not wrapped in Christmas tissue gay
But gifts to bless you every day.
The gift of friendship warm and true
Is one that I would leave for you
Good health and happiness and cheer
To keep you smiling through the year.
The gift of peace that comes from God
With prayer to guide each path you trod
And when your heart has lost it’s song
The gift of hope to cheer you on
These are the gift’s I’d leave for you.
This next poem came from Becky who is 11 and emailed this to me.
Hope you all like it!
Monkeys by Becky, age 11
I am a monkey swinging in the trees,
I am a monkey loving the breeze,
When I swing,
I always sing,
because I’m loving the breeze,
as I swing through the trees,
I’m sorry this is short,
But at least I gave you a little thought.
If you’d like to add anything to this section, then send it to me!