'C is not for Cancer' by Kay Sandry

A is for apple,

B is for ball,

C is for Cancer.

A is for Appointment Card,

B is for Hospital Transport Bus,

C is still for Cancer,

D is for Don’t Mention Cancer.

E is for Enema,

F is for Fuck, and trying not to give any.

G is for Graham who brought Covid onto said bus,

H is for Hope, the flip side of fear.

I is for Me when I feel most alone. A straight line of being that curls up tighter and smaller until ‘I’ becomes a ‘.’

J K L is for Family. Together we huddle in alphabet land.

M is for Maggies Cancer Centre: carefully curated coffee, cake, and calm.

N is for Neil the Bus who banned eating, Covid, and Graham.

D is for Denial,

O is for Eternity.

P is for Prostate and Prostrated, but also shouting at Popmaster.

Q is for Queuing.

R is for You. Still you, even so.

S is for Shit. So, so, much shit.

T is for Talking to Folk,

U is for Others. The ones who don’t talk. Who sit in hospital gowns and stare at their hands, hooked up to machines that beep, and sometimes don’t.

V is for Forgetting, and never for Void,

W is for Water, slowly sipped,

X is for X-rays, radio waves, consent, denial, kissing your hand.

Y is for Why. Why you? Why us? Why now? Just why?

B is for because.

Z is for an end point. A pausing in time.

A is for Advanced,

B is for Bollocks.

C is for paddling in with the sun on your back.