The cancer is told to no one.
We latently recognize noble reticence;
Are inspired by the selflessness:
He hid the pain and loss so well.
The addict,
The same lie,
And we say,
Loser!
One inspires;
The other,
Despised.
Two suffer too.

It's not the losing hair
That's bothersome;
But the bone
With eyes and brows gone,
And an unattached jaw.

Raised me up, raised me right
On my knees in Glories light
Enlightening of this childish mind
Reaching for the very heights

Raised me tuff, raised me strong
Taught me lessons, right and wrong
Truthful as the day is long
How a Father would a son

Raised me to the tune of truth
A grip so tight it won't shake loose
In all I say and all I do
Raised me to be just like you

Raised me in the thick of things
With the best of up bringings
In what you can and can not see
Raised me right in word and deed

Raised me to a "T" without fault
Raised me in the name of love
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I am my Father after all

The wedding photograph took centre stage
Eight great years
Two years gone now
She had sort of moved on
Slowly
She gazed at the photograph
So strange, it looked different
It was as if he had taken two steps back from her
She began to study the photograph again
Maybe it was just that photograph
She looked out some others
It didn’t make sense
He was behind or in the distance
Moving out of her life
She began to shake
It didn’t make sense
You can’t change photographs
You just can't
The family photo
He was at the back
Was she going crazy
She grasped at the wedding photograph
Watching as he slowly began to fade from view
Was he punishing her
Trying to tell her to move on
She woke with a jolt
Studying the room
God, that was awful
So awful
She needed coffee, and quick
The caffeine kicked in
She spoke out loud
Okay Tom, I finally take the hint
Glancing at the photograph
So strange she thought
She wasn't in it.

Tossed and turned
Behind me was
My own
Shadow-
Opening
The window
I jumped
To stretch my
Appendages
I saw the world
This morning from
A higher cliff.
I touched the stars,
It's dust caressed my
Lips-