THE WINK
I watch my little girl get up
From treatment one more time.
She turns and smiles with ancient eyes,
Even though she's only nine.
I never planned on cancer's curse
When a family we started.
But here it is, and now we nurse
The emotions that it's smarted.
She somehow laughs a bit each day
And teaches me compassion,
As she fusses with her hair (what's left!)
And adolescent fashion!
She tries on shirts with real long sleeves
To hide the needle bruises.
And uses hats and scarves, and grieves,
She doesn't have more ruses!
I never planned on cancer's curse,
And neither did my daughter,
And since it came she's grown-up fast -
Much faster than she oughta!
No, we never planned on cancer's curse,
But then again I think,
It could have been so, so much worse,
So as we leave, I wink!
--Charlie Gould*
*"Works and plays well with others, and does not eat his young."