I
Saw you
Suffering
And taught you how
To sing through the pain.
It was my privilege,
For in this we were sisters.
I helped you then, and once again.
As the poison that could save our lives
Entered and tormented us, we sang on.
Your treatment ended; I had weeks to go.
Each time, the side effects grew stronger,
Made me weaker, lasted longer.
At last came the final day.
How I wanted to sing,
But the words failed me.
Then you walked in
With my song
On your
Lips!
Psalm 42:8 Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
This poem has two sources of inspiration. One is a plaque I have seen that says, “A friend knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” The other is the novel Season of Blessing by Beverly LaHaye and Terri Blackstock . This is a story of courage and faith in the midst of cancer, and how in every season of life—even in a season of suffering—we can find blessing and live our lives to the glory of God.
❧ ❧ ❧
Copyright © 2018 Angela Umphers Rueger – All Rights Reserved
Photo taken in Milton, Florida, 2017
The Abundant Heart 
This poem beautifully expresses my experience! Thank you!! ❤ ❤
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Did you have cancer, or your mother? Either way, my heart goes out to you. ❤
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Both of us. We discovered Mom was terminal two weeks after I finished 6 months of chemo.
But God is good, and carried me through that dark valley…and when I emerged, He’d given me back both my life and my art. 🙂 Huge hugs, dear Angela! ❤ ❤
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I should have gathered that from reading your posts. If I missed it, I’m sorry. But I’m glad the Lord spared you and allowed you to keep serving Him. Lynn, you have become a precious friend! ❤ 🙂
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Structurally the poem has a name, too…chiastic? Altho, I think those are more “X” shaped. Whatever, I like this! I already want to render it in beautiful type.
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Yes, this is a Double Etheree, two 10-line stanzas, with the lines of the first stanza increasing in length from 1 to 10 syllables. The second stanza reverses the syllabic structure, moving from 10 to 1. It may be centered, but I did not do so with this one. Do you know someone who has been through chemo, or is going through it? You’re welcome to use my poem if it will encourage them. Just include my name as the author. 🙂
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Thanks for the information. We ALL know someone going thru chemo and I will gladly pass this along with your authorship credits.
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