Dear Cancer,

poetry by Sage Hardiman

You truly are despicable.
You reach into the world like it’s a jar of candy
Wrap your iron vice around everything in your sight,
And drag it away
Away from their family
Away from their friends
Away from their neighbors
Away from the world.
You steal the soul of the fighters,
Of the weak,
Of the heroes,
And of the vile.
But taking the life of those who already damned themselves
And sealing the doom of those who already chose their fate
Does not make you any better in any right.

You tried to take my mother from me.
You wrapped your pink ribbon of death around her neck
And pulled it into a chokehold.
But we fought back:
The surgeons,
The nurses,
The radiologists,
Our neighbors,
Family friends,
My Dad,
My sisters,
Me,
And my mom.
We all took this ribbon, 
Tore it to shreds,
And burned the remains.

The best birthday gift I ever received
Was my mom being declared cancer free.

I absolutely despise you,
Sage Hardiman