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Poetry by Cancer Caregivers: The Couple
There was an unspoken understanding
As if he could read her mind
Making thoughtful suggestions
And wanting to be kind
Yet she had her independence
And displayed it every day
He remained quiet for the most part
And let her have her say
They did not hold hands
And I never saw them hug
But they were always sitting together
And on my heartstrings they did tug
She knew the end was coming
But no-one knew when it would arrive
So we paid our respects daily
All hoping she'd stay alive
We'd see him in the hallway
And never far from her room
So many thoughts in his head
A pervasive one likely gloom
But he never showed as such
And I admire his devotion
His commitment and his love
One could taste that emotion
I will never truly know
What she's been through all these years
All the hope and dreams she shared
As well as all the fears
But I admire how they've handled it
With class and dignity
With hope and realism
And above all, integrity
AMIR STEINBERG, MD, is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, in the hematologic malignancies/stem cell transplantation group in the division of hematology-oncology.