<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p class="MsoNormal">Last Day Of Chemo</p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Last day of chemo</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Early morning run</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Up Alta Vista trail</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Roosters crowing along with chemo pump</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">No idea how to hold it all,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">So I hold this hill’s sacred oak</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">A lover’s embrace </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Of every familiar bump</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Along its wide trunk</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Until slowly my thought mind</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Disappears and body</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Empty softly fills up.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"> </p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Fragrance of golden oat straw,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">This sweet strong body</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Carries me with courage and grace</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Through myriad sensations:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Heart heaving, lungs gasping</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Lactic acid legs burning,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Mouth sores stinging everywhere</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Food tasting abominable,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Just have to chew it all</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Slowly, carefully, keep going,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Son is young</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class="">Not my time for going.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"> </p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Brian McSweeney</div></div></body></html>