Undefeated - Diane Scantlebury

You disfigure our bodies
Invade our organs and bones,
Yet your name is always spoken
In hushed, secretive tones,
We acknowledge your existence
In others without prying,
What we fear most
Is the thought of dying.

But the dying is easy
Survival is hard,
It’s a struggle to stay positive
When dealt life’s final card,
But I will not allow you
My spirit to defeat,
Cancer I’ll not march
To your cruel beat!

Diane Scantlebury