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The Enemy Within

For two long years, maybe more You lurked in hibernation, silently sleeping Waiting for the time you reared your ugly head The surgeons couldn’t find you But in our hearts we knew you were there Test after test – a waiting brief You stole away our lives like a silent thief Then finally they found you Hidden away in the depths of his body Waiting for the chance to create more damage But finally they were ready for you To eradicate this blight from our lives You were no match for the robotic machine And not the surgeon’s knife He was there sitting behind a console And he took away your life Prostate cancer you are gone And we are finally free. Entered into 101 in a row contest # 4 sponsored by PD Linda:-) 15th February 2014

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Jenna Logan

Date: 6/10/2021 6:56:00 AM

Yes, that was a terrible time for both of you. Do enter it this way or revived for the contest and good luck.

Tim Smith

Date: 7/13/2016 3:12:00 PM

Great to see this one again Jan...congrats on the win

Jan Allison
Date: 7/17/2016 7:55:00 AM

Thanks Tim:-) Hugs Jan xx

Sara Chansarkar

Date: 7/13/2016 2:22:00 PM

Cancer robbing smiles and lives,so happy yours had a happy ending Jan!

Jan Allison
Date: 7/13/2016 2:30:00 PM

Thanks Sara - we were lucky it was caught early but it took 2 years to detect!:-( hugs Jan xx

Bl Devnath

Date: 7/13/2016 12:02:00 PM

Congrats on you win with this positive poem. Loved much. Loved always my lovely smiling friend, bl

Jan Allison
Date: 7/13/2016 2:29:00 PM

Thanks so much BL:-) hugs jan xx

Janis Medders Tobechi

Date: 7/13/2016 11:31:00 AM

I am glad this was caught. For my father, it was too late back in 93. Congratulations on your win....

Jan Allison
Date: 7/13/2016 11:40:00 AM

I'm so sorry for your loss:-( My father died of cancer last year - we were so lucky my husband's was caught early - it was when he was in surgery I wrote my first poem and its been my lifeline ever since:-) hugs Jan xx

Carrie Richards

Date: 7/13/2016 10:05:00 AM

So many Soupers can relate to this thief. My brother struggles at this very time with this Scrooge of all Scrooges. So glad your loved one is free at last ! Well said, Jan!

Jan Allison
Date: 7/13/2016 10:19:00 AM

Cancer took my maternal grand mother and my paternal grandfather and my father and his brother - everywhere around me people are suffering from this dreadful illness- I hope and pray one day they find a cure and that your brother fights this cruel disease :-) hugs jan xx

Poet Destroyer A

Date: 7/13/2016 12:58:00 AM

Hi, Jan, this was totally deep, (the ending was not what I was expecting at all..lol) Awesome........ Congratulations on your awesome win. Thank you for the support. Stop by and enjoy the sanity of my newest Blog "In Red's Silent Fury." Always & Forever WUV ~LINDA~

Jan Allison
Date: 7/13/2016 6:07:00 AM

Thanks Linda this is one of my very early poems if it wasn't for my hubby's cancer surgery i would never have started writing - my hubby's surgery was amazing - done by a 'robot' in fact the machine they use is called 'the da vinci machine' thanks for a great contest:-) hugs jan xx

Arthur Vaso

Date: 6/25/2016 2:56:00 PM

Cancer is such a terrible thing, Sorry I read this so late, and congrats on your win! So many people I know are going though health issues, I may write something on the topic! Hugs!

Jan Allison
Date: 6/25/2016 3:14:00 PM

Thanks Arthur. Cancer is a topic so close to my heart - without my hubby having cancer I would never have written my first poem 'splendid isolation' and now I'm writing a humourous poems book - what an unexpected turn around in my life!:-) hugs Jan xx

Skat A

Date: 11/28/2015 1:51:00 PM

Jan, congrats on your win. SKAT

Jan Allison
Date: 11/28/2015 1:53:00 PM

Thanks SKAT:-) hugs Jan xx

Kim Merryman

Date: 11/27/2015 1:44:00 PM

A fantastic write, Jan! Congrats on your win and I'm happy for your husband's victory over cancer! Love, Kim

Jan Allison
Date: 11/27/2015 2:28:00 PM

It is a victory for us both Kim - without the cancer I never would have started writing:-) hugs jan xx

Richard Lamoureux

Date: 11/27/2015 8:27:00 AM

So triumphant! Congrats Jan.

Jan Allison
Date: 11/27/2015 8:33:00 AM

I was 2 years on Monday since my hubby has his surgery and I wrote my first poem since my schooldays:-) hugs Jan xx

Paul Callus

Date: 11/26/2015 4:33:00 PM

I had missed this powerful poem, Jan. You were both strong and determined. May good health always keep you company. Congratulations on this fine win. Hugs // paul

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2015 4:48:00 PM

Thanks Paul it is a very early write:-) On Monday it was 2 years since Bob's surgery and when I penned my very first poem since my schooldays:-) hugs jan xx

Balveen Cheema

Date: 11/26/2015 11:34:00 AM

Congrats on your double win -cancer and poetry! Love, Balveen

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2015 12:15:00 PM

Thanks Balveen:-) hugs jan xx

Joseph May

Date: 11/26/2015 8:23:00 AM

Congrats on your win Jan....

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2015 9:01:00 AM

Thanks Joseph:-) hugs Jan xx

Dr. Upma A. Sharma

Date: 11/26/2015 3:54:00 AM

Congrats on ur win with this poem Jan.. great work!

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2015 6:34:00 AM

Thanks Dr Sharma:-) hugs Jan xx

Kayod5 Kayode

Date: 11/26/2015 1:21:00 AM

Congrats on the win with this great poem Jan...hugs

Jan Allison
Date: 11/26/2015 3:05:00 AM

Thanks Kayod5 - I have come a long way with my writing since my hubby had cancer surgery and I wrote my first poem:-) hugs jan xx

Lu Loo

Date: 11/25/2015 6:47:00 PM

Congrats Jan! I love this.. *smiles* -lu

Jan Allison
Date: 11/25/2015 6:49:00 PM

Thanks Lu it is a very special poem for me:-) hugs Jan xx

Cynthia Jones

Date: 2/2/2015 7:47:00 AM

Oh wow!!!! I hope everything is going good now Jan. Great write my friend. Well done. :O) Keep up with the great work. Keep on penning. Thank you so very much for sharing your wonderful and creative talents with us. We all truly appreciate it. *S* Cynthia

Jan Allison
Date: 2/2/2015 8:00:00 AM

He got the all clear in July:-) hugs Jan xx

Shane Cooper

Date: 1/1/2015 7:18:00 PM

A difficult subject to write about but you have done it with aplomb. My father was diagnosed with prostrate cancer about a year ago, he underwent chemo and so far he is still okay. love Shane xxx

Jan Allison
Date: 1/1/2015 7:21:00 PM

My hubby underwent robotic surgery - in July he got the all clear just needs 6 monthly blood tests - I hope and pray all is well with your father:-) Hugs jan xxx

Robert Lindley

Date: 6/7/2014 10:52:00 AM

Jan , a truly great write!! My oldest brother had that treatment, laser, no knife cutting and it saved his life!! Almost 4 years now and he is doing fine! Bravo on the write my friend!!!!

Jan Allison
Date: 6/9/2014 7:38:00 AM

Thank you for the lovely comment Robert. I am delighted for your brother. My hubby had the robotic surgery - a modern day miracle. 6 months on he is still all clear:-) Hugs Jan xxx

Mel Merrill

Date: 4/9/2014 4:49:00 AM

Hi Jan. Burnin the midnight oil as you can see. I have quite a few tutoring clients (high school kids, mostly) and I'm sometimes up till 4:00 editing essays--help!!! You mentioned this poem as the most meaningful to you, so I had to check it out. A good poem, Jan; what I call, a wrist-cutter--only yours has a happy ending. Hope all is well with that. Scares me to death--poor choice of words. catch ya later. Hugs, mel

Jan Allison
Date: 4/9/2014 4:58:00 AM

I too work in a school supporting students with additional needs - thankfully no essay or marking for me. Its 10.56 here - am in UK - beautiful spring day - i should be in the garden weeding! Hubby doing fabulously - had his second blood test with superb results 0.01 so all good here, Hugs Jan x Will add you to favourites so I can check our your poems Jan xxx

Richard Lamoureux

Date: 2/16/2014 8:09:00 PM

It is an important topic many men die because they are to embarresed to talk about it or have the test.

Jan Allison
Date: 2/16/2014 8:42:00 PM

will get off my soapbox now. thank you for listening Jan

Richard Lamoureux
Date: 2/16/2014 8:19:00 PM

I am happy for you both.

Jan Allison
Date: 2/16/2014 8:15:00 PM

If this poem prompts just one man to get tested and his life is saved from this dreadful disease then all we have been through will be worth it. My husband was considered rather young to have the disease - unfortunately the hospitals are all to willing to sit and watch and wait whilst the cancer grows undetected, it took 2 biopsies and and MRI to find it and was already stage 2 before it was removed. we are very blessed it is now gone. jan x

Richard Lamoureux

Date: 2/16/2014 7:40:00 PM

Amazing Jan, I will add it to my favorite poems. Well expressed.

Jan Allison
Date: 2/16/2014 7:44:00 PM

Aww thank you Richard, it means a great deal to me. I don't know why but i feel so comfortable talking about it now maybe just to get men to act on instinct and not leave these things until it it too late. My hubby just asked for a PSA test to be 'thrown in' when he had a well man test, it came up high but still took 2 yrs for the cancer to be diagnosed. Jan xx

Jack Ellison

Date: 2/15/2014 9:25:00 PM

Happily I add my personal good wishes to both you and your hubby for making it through this horrible ordeal! I have had personal experience with that ugly disease! Lost my first wife to breast cancer Jan 1st 1999! Loving hugs twin sister! XOX

Jan Allison
Date: 2/16/2014 1:02:00 PM

Hi Brother This poem just came out of no where yesterday when i was making soup and it really is special to me and is currently the favourite one I've written. I love the way we have now got rid of the 'enemy' I pray one day we can eradicate this vile disease which touches so many of our lives.Hubby loved the poem too, but if it wasn't for his cancer I probably wouldn't be writing now so out of the darkness came light. love and hugs r Jan x

Vera Duggan

Date: 2/15/2014 6:47:00 PM

OMG Jan what a great write, so glad your husband is well and has beaten this horrible disease I feel for you both,, take care, by the way I am not a poet, I am Peter's wife but I just love poetry. Vera

Jan Allison
Date: 2/15/2014 7:01:00 PM

Aww vera your kind words brought tears to my eyes. its been am emotional journey - its not over yet, but so far we are winning. I don't know how it has evolved but I've found this creative streak I never knew I had in me. Hope you will read some of my more humorous efforts Just desserts and Lettuce Pray are true stories! Hope we can chat again Jan xxx