A CONVERSATION WITH CANCER
(Encouragement for a Friend)
By Geoffrey Jones
“Hold on a minute… I’m not ready to go
Anywhere quite yet… It’s not my time… And
Although you may be my clear and constant
Shadow, I have every intention of fighting
You tooth and nail…”
“Well that’s brave… Is that a dare… Let the
Battle begin because I’m here to reap my
Reward and I won’t be turned away…”
“Hey… I’ll stand my ground… I’m not
Ready to fly off into the wild blue yonder
With you or anyone else as long as there
Are sunny days and grandchildren to bounce
Up and down on my knee…”
“Tough talk and bold rhetoric will get you
Nowhere… You don’t have a choice in the
Matter… I’m going to catch up with you
Sooner or later… So why not surrender
Now…”
“Because life is life… And as long as friends
Drop in for a visit… Or stop by to sip an ice
Cold Martini at sunset… There will always be
A reason to loiter… To hang around in the
Crawlspaces and arcades of everyday living…
And it’s the common things that are worth
Fighting for… It’s the things that you barely
Notice that matter most to me…”
“Okay… But let me remind you that you’re
On a very tight leash as you stroll around the
Block… It’s a short distance from here to the
End of the line… Soon you’ll be dancing with
The angels…”
“That may be so, but who covers the
Spread between life and death… What
Do the oddsmakers say… I wouldn’t
Bet against me… I’m in no hurry to take
Up residence in an urn on someone’s
Mantle… And I’m not quite ready to
Join the idols of my ancestry…”
“Hey listen up… Only you can prevent
Forest fires… Fight back if you wish… But
I’m game for this tug of war… And don’t forget
There’s a reason for everything… And when
It’s time to go… Oh well, you catch my drift…
You can’t repeal the laws of nature… There’s
A code and a scheme to live by in the here
And now… And a certain outcome to boot…
At some point it all boils down to life, or the
Alternate dimension, no matter how fervently
You beg the timekeeper for a reprieve… I
Can’t be beaten… Give up…”
“Yep… I get it… Everyone beseeches God…
We go door to door… Church to church…
Temple to temple… But He’s not there…
He’s got a place of his own… He’s wherever
You happen to find him amidst this bumper
Crop of bad ideas and false promises… There’s
A distinction between content and context
You know… So maybe there is a plan…”
“I see your point… But is it the fear of
Death… Or is it the joy of living that best
Explains why you cling so dearly to life…
I have to know before I take you…”
“That’s one helluva question… It’s a little
Of both… We all know what time it is as
We reach that stage in life when wearing
A wrist watch seems silly… There’s no place
To go… Time just happens… The hour of the
Day doesn’t matter anymore… And in the
End it’s all about the joy in living… There
You have it… And that’s my final answer…”
“Fair enough… But I’m the scourge you
Have to beat… So let me see if I’ve got this
Straight… You live on the edge… Your
Life started on the day you were born… But
It could just as easily have ended at birth…
You struggle against all sorts of challenges
And complications… Life is tough… But
You swallow hard and carry on… And why…
Because there is joy in living… Do I have
That right… Why not surrender… I demand
An answer now… Before wrapping you up
In my arms…
“You got it right… This fight is going the
Distance… The whole fifteen rounds… And
I’m certain there will be knockdowns… But
This fight won’t be won or lost by a split
Decision… You better knock me out because
I’ll rise up from the canvas again and again…
I’m not taking a dive for anyone… Not even
You… And above all else remember this…
I just might have something more to say…”
