Anne Awakens
In the midst of the hospital’s beeping machines,
Anne lay wrapped in linen dreams.
Three days drifting, submerged in enduring night,
Her breath as fragile as candlelight.
Caregivers hovering, hope nearly spent,
Eyes searching for any gentle movement.
Then softly, a miracle unfolds,
She blinks once, then twice, then thrice, behold.
Her gaze, a river of love, flows deep,
Through the sterile air, hearts leap.
She reaches for food with trembling grace,
Devours each bite, a puzzled half smile on her face.
Is this awakening her farewell, her last embrace,
Or will she rise anew, defying fate’s chase?
Like Lazarus summoned from the tomb,
Or a phoenix soaring from shadowed gloom?
Back she has slipped into silent seas,
Leaving whispers of hope on the breeze.
We wait, uncertain, in awe and fear,
For her spirit to return … or to disappear.
After being in a near comatose state for over 60 straight hours, Anne has briefly awakened three times in the last two days. Her disease, terminal glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer, has left her exhausted and unable to speak. But she has not left us yet.
This awakening reminds one of the film “Awakenings” based on a true story. I have written about it here:
https://robertmcbrydeauthor.com/awakenings-the-panther-and-annes-conditional-liberation-from-the-confines-of-brain-cancer/
Here are more links about the film and the book on which it is based:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awakenings
https://medium.com/the-outtake/awakenings-in-real-life-9033851501f
If you feel like keeping track of Anne’s cancer journey, I’m chronicling it in prose and poetry here:
https://robertmcbrydeauthor.com/news/
Your friend,
Robert
https://robertmcbrydeauthor.com/
