Every moment, every day, every person, they are all unique. No two moments are the same. No sequence of events can be generalised (or, should not be.)  His was unique, and he deduced the cause of his cancer uniquely too.  How can anyone disagree with him?

His dreams are dispersed
And long forgotten –
Those which lit up his face
And warmed his heart.

What is this way of being?
What is this nightmare
Going to achieve?

The 'bitter witch' mixed
Her mucky brew and
Passed the cup around.

“Oh come and drink my sticky brew…”
“Forget your frazzled working life…”
“Come, get sozzled right through…”
“This elixir’s made just for you.”

A poisoned chalice?
The throw of the dice?
Old fashioned bad luck?

Call it what you will.

Enticed, he drank some –
On his way home from work -
His mind thus released
To savouring wet salty kisses
On distant shores;

Family happy together

Eating enriching food

Around their plentiful table

Feeling each others love;
Daydreamed good luck

Winning the weekly Lotto...
Harmless escape.

He never over indulged
He never drank to excess.

But she, she invaded
And now the greyness

She so willingly granted
Consumes his being;
Drip by drip, cell by cell

Moment by moment,

Tear by tear.

First came a stabbing
Sudden, fleeting pain.
Then deepening aches
After exertion.
And now hell on earth;
Even his breath is painful.

I am seized with the desire to touch him –
Just a simple hand upon his shoulder.
Camaraderie?

Healing?

I wish!

Oh, how do I wish!

But it is not 'PC'.

Reaching out in mind only

My physical hand remains still

Clenched tight with the anger

Of perceived injustice.

And our Sun …

Our life giving Sun

Streams through the window
And it sends a sunbeam
Onto his hunched back
To heat up the place
Where the cobalt
Beams have redenned
His irradiated skin.

In my sick feeling stomach

I fear she has almost...

Almost...
Finished stealing him.

In these weeks I have seen

Others disappear

Taken by the disease

Before their time is up.

There is a 'look'

You think you recognise.

So now,

Even the life giving sun
Brings him pain!

He will never be the same again.

None of us will.

© Allen Ansell 2026