A poem from Gabriele, July 16th, 2012

Dear Well Wishers,

Your love surrounds me with a constant flow of good energy, and I am so grateful to you far and near.

Unfortunately, I had a very serious reaction near the end of my first round of chemo because of a missing enzyme that does not allow my body to properly process the chemo’s poison, and I took a real beating.  Fortunately, I am starting to rebound and we’ll see if I can begin to take in real food after over a week without it.  Then a new round of experimentation begins.  It all makes me think of this poem:

THE SELFISHNESS  of THE SICK

            --Beth Joselow

The selfishness of the sick is enviable.

They can have anything they want

they think, and so they make demands.

All is forgiven in caves

no one else wants to enter.

They are bathed by strangers,

gently held while their pillows

are fluffed and rearranged.   They

are served all of their meals and get

exactly what they ask for.

They eat, they drink, they drowse

on so much love, on painkiller,

dreaming of the old world

where they can

walk to what they want, unassisted.

                                        Beth Joselow

Sent with love,   Gabriele