Hair Care

Blood Lines Poem 19

You asked me if I cared about losing my hair.

I looked at you in surprise!

“After all that’s happened to me, in my life?”

I responded, as I met your eye….

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I’ve been bitten by a pony, stung by wasps and a bee

Faced and chased a big rat coming at me

Slept with cockroaches in a Philadelphian bed

Fallen into nettles with stings widespread

I’ve canoed the River Spey and kayaked the Tay

Camped out in cold, minus 16 below

Lost in mountains, mist on heather

Stranded on an island, thanks to bad weather

Found a dead man on a hill

Been rescued from a cliff of my own free will

Whipped the Dragon’s Tail on a racing snow sledge

Dug out ditches

Laid a hedge

Couch surfed with ‘galactic soul savers, (somewhat unplanned)

Travelled 21000 miles to get paid 12 grand

Pub crawled with Yukon mud miners

and Majorcan fashion designers

Scrubbed many an ancient human bone

Stopped starlings roosting with a megaphone

Lost teenagers at a train station in rush hour

Jumped on the glass floor of the CN Tower

Travelled to work by skis and snowshoe

Cycled hands free without any ado

Cartwheeled at the age of 54

Telling more poor jokes than ever before

And still find them funny.

I nearly died giving birth

(A placental abruption for what it’s worth)

I’ve lost a sister to suicide

A friend murdered, others killed on a mountainside

Suffered trauma, anxiety and depression

Lived through misogynist aggression

Jumped through a burning door, to escape a fire

With panache, hopped fences topped in barbed wire

Saved my mother-in-law from choking

Using an abdominal thrust - no joking

Campaigned for peace

Nuclear disarmament

Animal rights

And the environment

In the Eighties I was vegan for 7 years

An avid martial artist, without any fears

Invited to sponsor a UFO stake out

Declined the offer as it wasn’t well thought-out

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So what if I’ve hair today that’s gone tomorrow

Unlike Samson my strength doesn’t rely

On the length of my locks, don’t you see?

The absence of hair will

Never

Define

Me

This poem is written in response to being interviewed by a medical professor who presumed that I would find the worst side effect of chemotherapy being the loss of my hair, on account of my being a woman. Sadly I wasn’t able to formulate this reply on the hoof! I just stood my ground and stated I found nausea the most debilitating thing. The poem format was inspired by a friend, Antonia Pugh-Thomas who underwent a similar situation when she was criticised by a bloke for not painting a shed correctly. Her text rant was a wonderful read.

Occasionally I’m asked what I have left to do on my bucket list. My response is succinct. I’ve no bucket list and never had one. But I’ve had amazing experiences, often that have happened unexpectedly with no planning, that don’t rely on travelling, a successful career, being a GOAT (greatest of all time) or having loads of money. Why does our society define satisfaction in terms of such a limited set of criteria?

Flynne’s Barn is a place where young people living with cancer can come together and find connection in beautiful surroundings and provides a range of immersive outdoor and creative experiences. I am sharing one poem per day during September 2022 to raise money for this charity. To DONATE, visit my GO FUND ME page. Many thanks.

Leukaemia and Lymphoma NI is Northern Ireland’s is only charity dedicated to blood cancer research and definitely a website worth visiting if resident there. Lots of information, support and advice.