(to all the of fallen and to all of the survivors)
Before I knew cancer was a disease, to me it was the most Northern circle of latitude on this planet.
To me it was synonymous with the summer solstice.
Before I knew cancer was a disease (to me) it was just another sign of the zodiac. It symbolized a person like my Mother, kind, generous and a lover of trees and quiet places.
But then one day I met cancer.
It met it in whispers as family members talked about it in hushed voices.
I met it in hospitals, on visits to people who had fallen into its clutches.
And I met its handiwork at funerals, in coffins, on the wet faces of survivors…
And I learned sadly that cancer has been around as long as the zodiac. As long as the summer solstice.
And I also learned that cancer has a lot of cousins, but you can usually tell by the last name.
Breast cancer, Colon cancer, Liver cancer, Lung cancer.
Then you got those bourgeoisie cousins with those college text book names like:
Leukemia, Lympho-blastoma, Multiple Myeloma, Non-hodgkin’s lymphoma.
But if you see cancer, you tell it not to bother wiping its feet on the doormat because it won’t be staying long.
Tell it not to get too comfortable, because uninvited guests can’t stay in your home.
You tell it love don’t live here anymore. Tell it to try the people next door.
And if all that don’t work, you tell it I said to go play in some traffic.
And remember when it comes to cancer, you’re the one in control.
Cancer is just a backseat passenger, or a fly on the wall.
Get the fly swatter, get the bug spray, get the RAID.
You show it how pests are treated when they stand in your way.
Yeah if you see cancer you tell it “Miss Gia told me to kick you to the curb.
And remember that sickness is a condition, but to LIVE is a verb.
And people are donating, and fund-raising and working night and day.
See cancer’s days are numbered, because a cure is on the way.
So if you see cancer, just remember what to do.
Remember that you can survive cancer,
It’s cancer that can’t live without you.
© October 2014 written by Gia Scott-Heron
(Breast cancer awareness month)
Gia Scott-Heron, a.k.a. (affectionately known as) Miss Gia is an L.A. based poet that has been delivering her brand of “Edutainment” for over a decade. She has been to the National Poetry Slam twice, has been featured at colleges and Universities, including the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and has been featured in The Los Angeles Times. She is currently working on her sophomore album entitled: Gialogick 101: Class is in Session to be released in 2015. She is also finalizing the manuscript for her first full book of poems and Essays with the working title: Can You Hear Me Now? Stay tuned!
Nikki Skies 