Last night I was remembering the Muslim woman
at the cancer center
who was always there the same time as I was
years ago, free of cancer now
though I never had a conversation with her
I worried about her
she was emaciated and in a wheelchair
never knew cancer put people in wheelchairs
but, alas, many are the people in wheelchairs
from cancer
I was worried about this woman because
I thought she looked close to dying
she appeared to be in her early or late forties
too young, too soon, to leave this world
one day she was no longer at the cancer center
at the same time I was
I feared my observation about her dying had been right
but to this day, I hope I had been wrong
I hope her doctor just changed her appointment time
and that she lives cancer free today.
Bob Boyd