Monday, January 12, 2015

"Brain Freeze," A Poem by Susan Rubin

I'd like you to know about my friend, Susan. She's smart and funny and one of my heroes. Susan does not let go. She pushes and prods the experts until they recognize her chemo-related disabilities and provide resources for her and others.  She sends them copies of our book so they'll see the research and understand that chemo brain is real. 

But Susan continues to struggle.  Here's her beautiful poem...

____________________________
Brain Freeze

By Susan Rubin
Long Island, NY



It is a homonym 

You know 
But unexpected 
The sensual taste 
Of the ice cream 
And the awakening of the freeze
Hands caressing the 
Invasion of the forehead 
That subsides so 
Quickly

Brain freeze 
It is a homonym you know 
The traveling vemon 
The red toxicity 
Hammering the brain 
Exploding the fronal lobes 
Frozen 
Forever

I tentatively refused 
The potent 
That would increase my odds 
He called me 
The oncologist 
“If it was my wife” 
Well there you go 
Go no further

I opted for 
The odds for survival 
He did not tell me 
Nobody did 
Fighting the odds 
By a few percentage 
Was in leiu of a 
Clouded mind

The red poured in 
The brain cells flowed out 
In a free flow 
Attacking the road map 
Of my survival 
My memory 
My Attention 
My Problem solving 
My recall 
My ease 
The brutally of 
A red IV

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