water droplets for words

I didn't know
not even when
her prying hands
in my bed that
winter night
so long ago now
p
a
u
s
e
d
slowly
"What is it?"
silence.
the worst kind of noise
is that that doesn't exist.
"babe" she whispered
water droplets for words
"what's this on your breast?"
and even now
waiting room chairs
hard beneath my bruised legs
the words come
as if through a dream
water droplets for words
"cancerous lump"
water droplets for words
drip into my mind void
cancer
c
a
n
c
e
r
that killer of thousands
it has me now
am I never to be released?
c
a
n
c
e
r
water droplets for words
drip in one ear
and out the other
down down they fall
water droplets for words
were never my friends