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Stars in the Storm
Shivering and sobbing,
two women,
two complete strangers,
stand facing the storm-
Both with bodies bruised and battered
from cruel seasons that have seen
the turmoil of the bitter tempest of
surgery, chemo, radiation
and the agony of an avalanche of
despair and loneliness.
Slowly,
with trembling voices and
fluttering fingertips, they
reveal to each other their scars:
Scars on their bodies;
Scars on their souls.
Recognizing in each other the
same strange curiosities
silhouetted in light,
they begin to blossom.
A few moments later,
they are comfortable dancing-
Initially hiding behind curtains
and locked doors.
Taking a deep breath, they
step out into the sun,
Start to walk, then run
until they take flight
on wings of hope and courage;
Lighting up the darkening sky
Like the brightest of stars.
Pannaga Malalur, MD, is a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas. She wrote the poem after a conversation with two cancer survivors at a cancer walk-"their courage and outlook motivated and inspired me."