ONE TWO

Note to readers: In September, 2002, I was deeply immersed in chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin's Disease. I endured the agony of this treatment by doing paper collages which made use of concrete objects. The poem "ONE TWO" emerged toward the end of the grueling treatment, when my body was completely ravaged. Until recently, I have not been able to look at the portfolio of artwork or the poems that accompany some of them.

ONE TWO

WHEN YOU
FACE THE
HARD EST
THING IN
YOUR LIFE
JUST RE
MEM BER
TWO WORDS:
ONE TWO
ONE TWO
ONE TWO
IF YOU
SHOULD FOR
GET THEM
THEN JUST
LIS TEN
LIS TEN
LIS TEN
TO THE
SLOW AND
QUI ET
THRUSH OF
YOUR HEART:
VOOM BOM
VOOM BOM
VOOM BOM
OR JUST
LIS TEN
TO THE
SLOW AND
STEAD Y
WAY YOU
BREATHE
IN OUT
IN OUT
IN OUT:

OR IF
YOU ARE
LUCK Y
AND YOU
CAN STILL
WALK THE
WALK THEN
WALK THE
WALK THAT
SOL DIERS
DO ONE
TWO ONE
TWO ONE
TWO YOU
WILL GET
TO THE
PLACE YOU
HAVE TO
GO SO
SLOW LY
SLOW LY
ONE FOOT
TWO FEET
ONE HEART
TWO BEAT
ONE BREATH
TWO BREATH
AND ON
THE WAY
YOU MAY
SAY WHY
OH WHY
DEAR GOD
DID YOU
MAKE THE
WORLD SO
SO PAIN
FULL WHY
OH WHY
DEAR GOD
MUST I
GO THROUGH
ONE TWO
ONE TWO
WHY OH
WHY IS
THE WORLD
SO NIGHT
SO DAY
SO LEFT
SO RIGHT
SO LOVE
SO HATE
SO BLACK
SO WHITE
SO LIFE
SO DEATH
SO HELL
SO WELL
SO HELL
HELL HELL
HELL HELL
AND ON
AND ON
THE WAY
YOU MAY
NOT GET
THE ANS
SWER BUT
YOU WILL
HAVE SOME
THING TO
THINK AS
YOU GO
FOR WARD
FOR WARD
FOR WARD
AND ONCE
YOU GET
THERE IN
THIS ONE
TWO WAY
SLOW LY
SLOW LY
SLOW LY
GO ING
ONE STEP
TWO STEP
YOU WILL
KNOW YOU
ARE A
SOL DIER
OF GREAT
FOR TUNE
SING ING
SING ING
ONE TWO
ONE TWO
ONE TWO
YOU WILL
KNOW IN
YOUR HEART
VOOM BOM
VOOM BOM
YOU CAN
BY GOD
GET THERE
GET THERE
GET THERE
DO THIS
THOUGH YOU
WILL SWEAR
SOME MO
MENTS YOU
CAN NOT
YOU CAN
YOU CAN
DO SOME
THING SOME
AB SO
LUTE LY
IM POSS
I BLE
THING THAT
YOU JUST
MUST DO.


September 21, 2002