Stuck my hand into
A pocketful of glass
Smoothed by the sand
Dulled by the sea.
They fail to understand
How I withdraw my hand
Unharmed. They stare in alarm,
Concerned, as if I’d been maimed,
Or burned. I wonder the same,
Unimpressed, and recall that
Sharp shards of glass lose
Their threat among the wet
Beating of waves. Sun sets
And rises, tide rolls out
And in, and I win.
I win.
Copyright 2012 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.