Analysis of Cancer

Courtnie Mckern 1976 (Council Bluffs, Iowa)



Wondering thoughts enter my mind,
As the doctor gives bad news.
I’m sorry Mrs, it’s cancer,
From what we have no clues.

I’m going to die, I think inside,
Then she opens up her chart.
The tears begin to instantly fall,
And I quickly fall apart.

I’m thirty-one, I’m way too young!
I have so much to enjoy.
Cancer doesn’t really care,
Whose life it will destroy.

My doctor can see I’m scared to death,
As I sit there all alone.
She holds off on the details,
Til my husband I can phone.

He soon arrives and we embrace,
Not a single word is said.
Outside awaits the doctor,
And the results of which I dread.

An operation must be done,
A decision I must make.
Cancer is present in only one.
But both breasts they can take.

After months of waiting,
The operation takes place.
Everything goes really well,
But a new battle I must face.

They told me I’d need chemo,
Which made me really I’ll.
But I knew my babies needed me,
And I somehow found the will.

I’ve come to terms with my cancer,
And no one is to blame.
It’s adjusted my perception of life,
And a better person I became.

Through the help of my family and friends,
My struggles did finally end.
One day I hope to help someone else,
And a shoulder I will lend!


Scheme XABA XCXC XDXD XEXE FGBG HIHI XFXF XJXJ BKXK XLXL
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 10011011 1010111 11010110 111111 110111101 1110101 010111001 0110101 11011111 1111101 101101 111101 110111111 1111101 1111001 1110111 11010101 1010111 1101010 00011111 1010111 0010111 101100101 111111 101110 001011 101101 10110111 1111110 111101 111110101 011101 11111110 011111 1010101011 001010101 1011110001 11011001 11111111 0010111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,244
Words 281
Sentences 22
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 40
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 92
Words per stanza (avg) 23

About this poem

This poem was written during the time I was going thru chemo. I was really scared of dying and I just sat down and started writing my thoughts on paper.

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Written on March 17, 2008

Submitted by Courtnie.mckern on February 17, 2024

1:24 min read
57

Courtnie Mckern

Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Went to St. Albert high school. Received an associate degree from Iowa Western. Now lives in Bellevue, Ne with 2 children and a boyfriend. more…

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