I am thinking of you all, Kindred Spirits, and have something to share with you....

Dearest Kindred Spirits,

Not long after I was diagnosed in 2003, I joined CSN. One of the friends I made here was a published author of mystery books, Brenda C. Corbin, screenname Ceezhar. As we so often do at CSN we connected right away; hers was lung cancer, but of course, empathy and friendship is not limited by the nature of whichever beast we are battling. She asked me in 2004 if I would share with her in writing a poem. She had recently started an online mentoring site, and felt connected, as she said, "Survivor to Survivor, Hand to Hand, Heart to Heart." She gave me the premise of the poem, and we exchanged emails until we felt we had the poem just right. It was copyrighted in 2004, much to my delight!

Ceezhar sadly eventually lost her battle~yet she remained strong, gracious, and very much a Southern Lady to the end.

With so many of us still finding our way to the boards,I sometimes feel guilty for not having the time to address each and every one of you. I hope, through the words of this poem, you will find yourself safe in the tree,surrounded by friends, and that from your vantage point you can see a future free from cancer~ for everyone. My heart is with all of us~ survivors and caregivers alike.

"THE CANCER TREE" was conceived through love and heartfelt encouragement, survivor to survivor. With poems written between two cancer survivors, trust was born and a friendship developed. If you have cancer, you're not a victim, you are a survivor! As long as you have breath, regardless of your diagnosis, you are still surviving.

THE CANCER TREE

For those of us sitting in Cancer's Big Tree
the decision to climb up was not worry-free
But new growth was nurtured by warm, loving hands
the roots of the tree anchored deep in the land
Up high in these limbs we are strangely secure
where we once felt unsteady, we feel strong, we feel sure
~~Claudia (chenheart) XOXO

I caught a branch and climbed that tree
and wished YOU were sitting there high up with me
I caught another limb with my other hand,
and twirled to the trunk, and then shimmied down
I thought, if Chen tried doing what I just did,
I hope she wouldn't fall
Then I remembered, if she really tried
and she missed that branch
I'd just reach out and catch her...that's all!
~~Love ya,
Ceezhar (Brenda)

The branch you held onto while climbing that tree,
was already filled with the essence of me
I watched as you climbed, could you not feel my smile?
I knew you were worried, it felt like a mile!
The blossoms that cushioned you bounced back in shape,
and fragranced the air, as you mimicked an ape!
I know we could both have made this climb alone
but to make it together...seeds of trust have been sown!
~~Chenheart

A seed, you say? Yes, we planted it together
I'll bet it will grow, bloom, and last forever
No hoe or spade, to keep it alive,
unnecessary things aren't needed to survive
Only understanding, a shoulder, and bits of love
will make a small sprout grow high up above

So sprouts we were, when the "C" visits came,
now giant oaks we've become, with cancer to blame
But wait, look up there, and down all around,
at the branches with survivors, and new sprouts on the ground
I see that they're growing, with help from each other...
a hug, a word, we're all sister and brother
See, there's that hand that caught us, and made our climb eased,
it's big, it's gentle, Oh Chen...it's God, and He knows about this disease!
~~Ceezhar XXOO

Copyright 2004 by
Claudia Cable & Brenda C. Corbin


Be Stronger Than, Not Angry At