Villanelle: Caregiving Through the Storm

Villanelle: Caregiving Through the Storm

A Reflection on Loving and Caring for a Loved One with Brain Cancer

The gentle hush of morning fills the air,

I steady trembling hands to start the day,

Love weaves its promise gently everywhere.

You drift between the shadows and the glare,

Each memory, fragile, threatened with decay,

The gentle hush of morning fills the air.

The medicine—ritual, tender care,

A whispered hope that pain might slip away,

Love weaves its promise gently everywhere.

I watch your eyes for moments bright and rare,

Words falter, yet your smile finds its way—

The gentle hush of morning fills the air.

Through sleepless nights and burdens hard to bear,

I hold your story close, come what may,

Love weaves its promise gently everywhere.

Though sometimes lost, I find you in my prayer,

And in this fight, together we will stay—

The gentle hush of morning fills the air,

Love weaves its promise gently everywhere.

Here is a description of the villanelle, the form that I chose for this poem:

Your friend,

Robert