Bravery comes in many forms
For some it is in battle in a foreign land
For others it is in battle with their body
One day a diagnosis out of the blue
Turns life on its head
Turfs plans out the window
What’s this?
Why me?
I don’t know what to do
Plaintive cries echo in the darkness
As you stand alone despite those around you
For you alone can fight this battle
There is advice of course
From the medics and others
There is treatment in various forms
Diagnosis turns to prognosis
At some point down the line
You always hope for the best
Against all odds you fight
Try this and that
Mainstream and sometimes out of the stream
You do whatever you need to do
It is the way
It is your fight
But life is such that death
- that word we are not meant to utter -
Is inevitable and so it arrives
Even when expected
Such as it can be
It knocks the living sideways
But we need to respect
It was your battle
You chose weapons that suited you
You fought so hard
It wasn't always easy
But fight you did
And now you have moved on from this life
But please know
My life is richer because of you
You will never be forgotten
In memory of my ex-father in law, David Wells Snr who took charge of his fight with cancer and chose a path his family did not support at the time. A courageous soul.