Love Brighter & Gaining Strength...The Saga Of My Brain Tumor Poem by Bob Genevro

Love Brighter & Gaining Strength...The Saga Of My Brain Tumor

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'We now know why you've been having so much trouble'
a neurologist said over the phone.
'Your MRI shows you have
a brain tumor
behind your right temple.
perched on your trigeminal nerve'

Ohhhhhhhhh....
That explains
why my novacaine face tingles
why I suddenly wake at 3 a.m. with my face on fire
why my ear snaps-crackles-pops
why my eyelid feels like Silly Putty
why I carry 3 sticks of lip balm.
Jeez...I need a brain tumor
like a need a hole in the head.

I still have listened to
my three cantankerous teens.
They knew something was wrong.
For years they have cried out,
'For Christ sake, Dad!
You oughta get your head examined! '

And this is happening to my brain...
my second most favorite organ.
I asked the Brain Surgeons...the Incision Physicians
how could they tell
whether the tumor was malignant or benign.
'Well' they explained,
'If it's benign
the tumor would be branded with the
letter B and the number 9.
B9'

It could be check-out time
in this grand hotel called life...at 55!
As Bugs Bunny used to plead
looking into the barrel of Elmer Fudd's rifle,
'Hey doc,
I'm too young to die! '

We humans have a long history of...how you say...
not being nice to each other.
Who has lately received
the gold statuette
of Saint Francis Assisi? .
Yet I am touched
by all simple heartfelt statements
from loved ones:
'Are you going to be OK? '
'Keep me posted.'
'I'll be thinking of you.'
'Call if you need anything.'
'Let's get together
for breakfast, lunch, dinner,
anything.'

And it seems the late poet A.R. Ammons
wrote the following words for me:
'We are not giving up on the
congestive heart failures or brain tumors...
We will, as we must, leave it to
others to love, love that can grow brighter
gaining strength
and getting more precious all the way.'

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
G. Murdock 24 September 2006

This is remarkably poised for being serious confrontation. I hope it's a fiction of your jocular creativity. Your truly a funny guy.

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