In honor of Relay for Life coming up at FIU on March 6 at FIU, I dedicate the following poem to all families affected to cancer.
My Dad
You grew up in the mountains where the sky was crisp and blue In an colorful apartment with the most amazing views
The son of two German parents that were the most perfect couple The youngest out of three, you always caused the most trouble
You spent your days out in the Venezeulan sun Nothing or no one could disrupt your easy going fun
1976 came and the days turned sorrow For your dad was about to embark on a journey harder than climbing mount kilimanjaro
Blood-forming tissues hindering the body’s ability to fight infection Left you dealing with a big sense depression
In a search for the right remedy your parents leaped from country to country While you, in high school, stayed home to deal with literature and geometry
Your sixteen birthday wasn’t so sweet As a part of you was soon to be incomplete
After four challenging years of standing by chemotherapies There were unfortunately no more available remedies
Your visits took a turn from standing by a hospital bed To bringing flowers to a resting place instead
You and your family were never be the same But days went by and happy memories started to fill your new picture frames
And now the fear of it catching you Keeps me up with the Moon
The pigment producing cells gathering on your skin make me feel the most worried I’ve ever been
I fight for the loss you endured so many years back I fight so that a future with you in it is on track.