Yorkshire Writers' Lunch

Today is the day, the very 1 st of May Where a new future for me awaits It feels very odd, to be left on my tod And enter a new state of fate Away from the regime, and chemo nurse team Who have cared for me half the year And after this session, along with their blessing I can start to get rid of the fear From two-weekly plans and interim scans My life has been all about treatment Now I’m more free, to get back to me With family and friend’s encouragement If only this virus, wasn’t so tireless In its bid to take over the planet I want to return, to the places I yearn I’ve done my time, god dammit! I’ve missed all my friends and key fashion trends As I’ve had to become such a hermit No eating out, and G&T droughts Because chemo would just not allow it No walks in the wood, when feeling not good And sleep, well I just cannot find it No concerts to sing in and definitely no swimming Lack of freedom, has been the worst bit ...

Last Wednesday via WhatsApp I asked my friend Rowena how she was, and she replied in a low tone “above ground”, we giggled. She runs a travel business in Kingston, Jamaica and travels the world extensively. She had been complaining of feeling tired and needing to offload some of her work to her staff. I think she is struggling with 'letting go', as she built her business from scratch.  “Hhmm not heard that before" I said, "but it’s now mine too, so when someone asks how I am, I shall say ‘above ground and feeling grateful’”. I found this quote, cut it out and stuck it in my journal last year.‘I write quicker now because of the panic of death’ Playwright David Hare told The Times that age is a great cure for writers’ block [January 2018]. Well considering that in June 2018 my over zealous GP gave me a prognosis of imminent death due to advanced cancer based on a lung X-ray, a diagnosis that wasn’t based on sufficient medical examination or tests. However, f...