‘Til tide’s edge touches sand
Or beyond it, ankle-deep?
Will it roll in
Or ebb out? Will it slap me
Or dupe me, send me
chasing it?
And the current –
Will I feebly float or will
my feet be knocked from
under me? Under me.
Down…under water,
Out to sea…
How long will I wear SCUBA gear –
A month, a year, several years?
How long until the tank is empty
And I grow gills and flap away
Into the darkness, the colorlessness,
No sun to render blue…
Will I get to say good-bye
To grounded you?
Copyright 2011 Liya Khenkin
About Liya & Alexander: Together for over 20 years, Liya and Alexander have two beautiful children together. Liya lived over 8 years with Metastatic Breast Cancer. 8 years during which she maintained her life and balanced work and family life. She used art and writing as an escape, and we are honored that her husband has shared her stories (and his art) with us. We hope this Life Beyond Breast Cancer tribute is an inspiration to other couples living with this disease.
Marcela Shine is Founder of Avanzar Ventures, Business Manager of The Tutu Project and an advisor to the Carey Foundation. Her company, Avanzar Ventures, has been supporting the project by providing operational, social media and technical implementation strategy since the inception of the project.