Poetry Friday
Sarah Sadtler Feather aka Carcinista
Loss
We never actually met
I never saw her face
or heard her voice
except through a strange
unreal, surreal link.
But we shared so much
became firm stranger-friends
bound together by a common
unexpected, uninvited, intruding disease
invading, consuming our bodies
too long undiscovered
too long undisturbed.
We bumped into each other
in this virtual world
Sharing our tears of laughter and fear
Each other’s face, name
Unknown, unfamiliar
Yet holding each other’s hands
while pushed along our medical path
disease and drugs trying,
but unable,
to strip us of dignity.
And then she was gone.
Stolen
Suddenly
Unexpectedly
From her family
From her friends
And from a woman she had never met
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This beautiful heartfelt poem comes from Philippa of Feisty Blue Gecko, whose poetry we have featured here previously. This poem is particularly special as Philippa wishes to dedicate it to Carcinista, who passed away on May 3rd, and whose memorial service takes place today. Philippa told me that she wrote this poem in memory of all those women we have never met, but who have touched our lives and our hearts through their writing and whose loss we mourn.
I thought perhaps we could use this opportunity as our own online memorial for those we have lost to this insidious disease by placing their names in the comments below and offering up a prayer or a wish for them and for those who they’ve left behind.
May they rest in great natural peace and may their loved ones be comforted and strengthened in their loss.
I am going to start things off by remembering Jenny, Kay, Christine and Daria – all sadly missed.
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Thank you for sharing this poem – made me cry, remembering Carcinista (what a beautiful picture!) and all those we’ve lost to this god awful disease.
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Thank you for sharing Philippa’s beautiful poem which perfectly sums up the bond we form with those women who understand more than anyone in the world what it is like to go on this cancer journey.
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A fitting tribute to Sarah and to all those we have lost. Rembering Carcinista and Daria today.
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Beautiful poem Philippa. May their souls be at rest and may their loved ones find comfort.
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Remembering Jane, Caroline and James today.
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Thank you for this opportunity to add the names of my beloved sister, Judy and my friend, Angela. Missing them today and always.
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what a wonderful poem – says it all really.
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Tears in my eyes reading Philippa’s poem and remembering Carcinista and all those we have lost
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Rembering Jamie today – love you, miss you for ever xxx
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Thinking of Sandy who passed away after living with cancer for 6 years – she died last week and my heart aches at her loss.
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Remembering Lydia, my mother in law who died from cancer in January – she was a loving mother and grandmother and we miss her terribly.
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Thank you for sharing this poem and for the opportunity to be united in our shared sense of loss of all those beautiful women, stolen from us too young and too soon.
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My wife passed away last December after a brave battle with breast cancer. I know not everyone likes that term brave battle, but she was the bravest woman I know and she did fight this terrible disease right to the end. Her name was Josephine.
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William, I am so very sorry for your loss. Sue Morris
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Very teary eyed reading everyone’s comments here – may all your loved ones find peace and may you be comforted in your grief
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Remembering Carrie and Joanne – much loved, much missed
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Thank you Philippa! I’m also thinking of Sarah (from Spruce Hill Farm) who died yesterday.
Katie
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I remember The Carcinista and @sprucehillfarm who left us this week. Two online friends who I never met but had the 2D pleasure of their company. I’d also like to remember Mike and Andrea, 3D friends who were lost to this awful disease. How many more, how many more? Xxxxxxxxx
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this is wonderful. i love the phrase “stranger-friends.”
our shared experience of cancer gives us a closeness that even our best true life friends often don’t understand. what a beautiful rendering of these friendships and the loss we feel.
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Remembering my FB friend Marine SGT Clifton Clayton, we never met in person but shared a common disease NHL.. Clifton did not survive, though he fought the good battle.
RIP my friend
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Thank you Marie and FBG.
I am remembering first and foremost my mother, Jual, who really was an actual “jewel.”
Also remembering Daria and The Carcinista. Plus, I honor all those I never knew.
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Wow.
So powerful.
Many tears here as well. Dedicated to all who have fought so bravely and lost their battle to such a terrible disease.
Those words are so, so powerful.
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Remembering the 2D presence of The Carcinista, Jane, Daria, Sarah, Lucille, and Andrea. Remembering the 3D presence of Pat, Susan, Dorothy, Ann, Carol, Angie, Paula, Hazel, Mimi, Maria, and Cathy.
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With overwhelming love & gratitude that their lives intertwined with mine, I remember: Aunt Linda. Maggie. Liza. My beloved brother, Brian.
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So beautiful, Phillipa. Thank you, Marie, for sharing this. I’m remembering the 2D friends I felt I knew, although I really didn’t, The Carcinista, Spruce Hill Farm and Daria. I also carry the memories of my mother, Claire, my Aunt Fran and my sister-in-law’s mom, Francella. All gone too soon and greatly missed.
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Oh my gosh, made me cry…
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I got chills reading this poem and these comments – something very affecting by naming the names of those we have lost. Please pray for Denise, my sister who died 6 weeks ago.
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Philippa, I love your poem. It’s true, we’re all connected through the fear, the pain, and the ironies attached to this disease. Thanks for putting it into words.
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I offer up prayers regarding beloved Robin, taken too soon from this world by breast cancer.
Jan
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From my mother who died in 1973 through to all the women today living with cancer.I remember you all.Never give up hope.
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Beautiful poem and it expressed how I feel *exactly*. Sarah and I were online friends, sharing emails and blog posts and jokes, and I know she was with many others too. Her grace in the face of darkness was astonishing to behold and never to be forgotten. I’m sad for all of us who lost such a great talent and such a shining light. It is incumbent on us to keep her memory alive. On my breast cancer blog, in October, she wrote a lovely guest post about how it feels to be an ovarian cancer patient in a sea of pink. I intend to publish that every single year, not only to remember Sarah, but to remind the world that there are other cancers aside from breast.
And, I remember Daria, and many others who I have encountered since I began blogging, and all those who I don’t know who have succumbed to this terrible, awful disease.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and to share your memories of Sarah and Daria.
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Thanks Marie for sharing this, and taking the moment to remember and honour those taken too soon, and of their families and loved ones. Particularly remembering Sarah and Claire.
I am very touched by all the comments – thanks so much, I am glad it struck a chord. It is a bit strange that it also makes me emotional and weepy when I read it and I am not sure that is allowed!
Warm hugs
Philippa
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It’s allowed! I think we all feel the same Philippa. Thanks once again for sharing such a beautiful heartfelt poem.
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This poem is extremely heartfelt and moving. Thank you.
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Such a beautiful tribute to a woman whose spirit shone so brightly that we feel loss in spite of not knowing her. It’s so important to bear witness, but I wish we didn’t need these tributes anymore.
And thank you for inviting us to share thoughts of our loved ones. I would like to honor my mom and dad. My mom died of colon cancer going on eight years ago, my dad of rectal cancer three years ago. I would also like to honor Roxie, who died of breast cancer in March.
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