To His Daughter Battling Cancer Poem by johannes lewinsky

I wish i could
I would if i could
Draw this from out of you
This distemper plagues you
Threatens to derail you

You who have done so much
Come so far fought so hard
That which we cannot find
Cannot name but is and wills
That it have its way with you

I do not accept that it must be this
I do not accept that you should be
Because of what they did to you
Invalided out any more than i have ever or will

Accept that i should be invalided out
Marginalised discounted because of all
That i have not been able
I will not accept the limits you seek to impose

Rather i will that i will
And i know that you will
And i will that you be not
Ever today or tomorrow
Or ever resign to be
To anything that you yourself
have not willed
For yourself willed

Nobody's yesterday should be permitted to define their tomorrows

And yes we all have to deal with consequences
But consequences are not there to be overcome
But there to be discounted utterly
As is anything that would reduce us

This is the anthem i sing for you
This is the anthem i sing for anybody
Who has been knocked back traduced
By circumstance

Which is why i will that i will
Be enabled to do it for you
And break the back
of this hydra that plagues you still