Stay of Execution

Everything in my life was going down I lost hope for my country, my state, my town A black dog followed me, I was weighed down by care Saw a neon tiger in the dark, at day a spectral mare. Offenders crossing our border worsened my blues In the city, Muslims chanted death to the Jews FBI reporting so many threats, they couldn't keep track No way to repel the coming attack. On a personal level, my mom was very short of breath We visited the ER, were told she was close to death An aggressive form of leukemia, they said, a death to fear Without treatment, only weeks to live; with it, maybe a year. Mom was doubtful, chemo is not for faint of heart She asked if she should fight against the tide, and restart I said yes, then the docs tried the immunotherapy tack Their chemo worked its harsh magic, pushed the leukemia back. Remission came, and the nurses with their charts gathered round, Satisfaction in their eyes, slinking away went the black hound. The neon cat retreated; the dark mare galloped off the field The crossed chromosome was controlled, the next best thing to healed At home we tried to retell her story as it should be told Seizing the day, driving through autumn's tapestry of gold To colonial towns, white houses and colored trees ablaze Making new memories, of rivers blue, and of sunny days Her sons scattered, yet she remains a hub of smiles, Learning of their lives from thousands of miles. When one son visits, they watch Westerns from a simpler time Screenwriters then couldn't dream of today's decline She'll dine with me outside, view our rock garden, perhaps a bird We don't talk of impending doom, just of books and the written word For a few years, thanks to medicine, we are not bereft A stay of execution, at least while America is left. Thanks to Dr. Seiter, Dr. Liu, and their respective team The phoenix rose, and for a while, we're in a waking dream.