bread of life (for Barb and The Cause)

Cancer took my father
My aunt, so far,
has held her own
and between the two
between here and heaven
lies an infinity

of the pain of chemo
and the purchase of hats
of nausea and weight loss
and the residence of fear
where tremulous hands
speak for silent tongues

but above all,
as a lone trumpet
holding a solitary note,
there is the call
to compassion
to commitment

to community
and courage;
cancer calls
to give what we can
when would we could
change time

would we could
control fate
and right wrong
and paint
the sky blue
the grass green

it calls,
even when love
is all
that remains
to
give

to hold
in our hearts
the depths of
our deepest well
of bucket full
water pure

as we hold the hands
with yellow wristbands
and look into eyes
that need us now
as we need them
as seed needs soil

realizing not
they return to us
as the fallowed field sowed
a harvest vast
of golden wheat
this bread of life

of courage
character
grace
and love
forever expanding
forever divine