Cancer

Evil worm    
Morphing flesh and blood of self into self-killers
Cell by cell,    
Second by second,    
Painful seconds lasting decades    
While robbing years in moments.
 
1.
Devil who turned abuser into the abused,    
who stole my Father    
replaced him with a fragile husk    
of rice-paper skin wracked by pain.    

2.
The silent mutant    
Sulking for 2 years in quiet hidden growth    
Awoke to shout her fears (when finally found)    
Violently slicing her badge of womanhood    
from off her frightened chest.    

3.
In the prime of youth, He went  
Strong athletic body, handsome face  
Erased  
Replaced  
By swollen arm and shriveled strength  
Buried bone dry within mere weeks.  
 
4.
A toddler girl fighting  
Count a bead for every blood draw, every treatment
Until she filled a box with battle scars  
Each bead a fight.  
 

Unstopping it saps the strength    
From the caretaker spouse,,    
the loving child,    
the ever-anxious parent    
Then deprives
Those tender children of their mother,    
Wife of partner,    
Daughter, son of father,
Boys who never knew their grandpa.

Evil incarnate!
We spoke your hated name tonight    
As our souls cried,
“Please don’t take another!”