A Spring of Joy

Midnight Cancer is a bottomless pit

where voices echo

around and around

endlessly repeating the same prayer:

oh God…

Sooner or later,

midnight cancer changes to morning cancer,

brighter, more hopeful.

Somewhere in the sun

rises warm and round.

Birds are singing.

After a while, morning cancer

melts into afternoon cancer

where it hides among chores:

cut the grass clean the downspouts

drain the noodles.

Later, the house falls silent

and even the dog is asleep.

There might or might not be rain.

Without a sound you are falling,

arms wide and circling.

It’s midnight

You have cancer.

~Mary Braddish O’Connor from her collection “Say Yes Quickly.”