Cancer, the Ultimate Test of Friendship

Cancer, the Ultimate Test of Friendship     

Being diagnosed with cancer

Separates our friends from pretenders

Cancer provides a litmus test

For those who we can trust

Our quest is to survive

And do all that we can to thrive

No cancer patient should be left to ask why

Or left alone to cry

Why our family is now elusive as a dancing butterfly 

Or a spouse suddenly misplacing their loyalty

You slowly see a difference in your friends

And while you try to justify their actions

It is not something you can honestly defend

Sometimes it just feels as if you’re just a distraction    

When we return to our work environment

Our colleagues seem to have misplaced their sentiment

We spend many days reflecting on what we did wrong

But we do not find anything that suggests we do not belong

As we look for a kinder and more gentler world

We remember the songs that found a home within our heart

You warmly recall your favorite places with all its playful adventure

And the family golden retriever chasing the slippery ball in the park

Some of us turn to reading and writing

Others discover the beauty in the little things of life

We try and find a common bond

With others that we have come to be very fond

We awake daily to walk those rugged rock formations

And remember within our hearts

Our moments of quiet celebrations

As our lives seek a forgiving path with a new start

Our beliefs are shattered as those we thought would be there

Gradually slip away from our reach as were not sure if they care

We have no answer when our friends appear in a distant shadow

And find inside our soul an aching hole which is steep and hollow

We have not changed nor do we intend to

As we will always take the high ground as it is our creed

To be there for others in need because they are human too

Including those whose warmth we missed in our time of greatest need

HeartofSoul_Steve