Abstract
What would happen if you knew
that I too once knew
the suffering of pricks and pokes
of hair loss and weight gain
of hopelessness and despair
of the self-isolating torture of not wanting to complain or receive pity
What would happen if I were to share
with care
the fact of the label that I wear…
Sometimes on my shirt
or in my scars
or on my name tag
Sometimes with pride
and hope
and inspiration
Sometimes with shame
and disconnect, otherness, and separation
So, how would you feel if you knew that I too
am a cancer survivor?
Would it be helpful?
Would I be able to do more?
Relate more? Connect more? Move and shake more?
Would I still be your therapist, or would I be your peer?
Or would you even care?
Never willing to shift the focus from you
Never knowing if I would solely be fulling my desire for you to see me
Never truly knowing the ratio of potential benefit to harm
I choose to remain unseen
and therefore
hopefully
heard
