Fight

Darryl also writes poems to express his fears and his hope as he waits for the transplant. The poem below expresses both. I made the mandala above to give visual expression to the powerfully hopeful opening lines of his poem.

Fight, a poem by Darryl Nichols

Every choice you make
is a choice between Life and Death.
Or, if you prefer, Love and Fear.

I will not fear. I will love and live.
My feet tap out the sound,
of my heart beating round and round,
spinning as I face my greatest fear,
an unknown death, a census smear.

I will fight. You will fight.
We all will fight, for the right
to breathe, to party, to love, to grieve.

One day this thing
will put me in my grave,
but even then
no coffin will I crave.
Burn me up, an offering to your gods
so that you can go on and Fight.
And love, and survive, and strive
and become the best
whatever it is you were destined to be

When you dreamed,
as a child, on a shooting star,
that you later found out was a firefly.

You know the fireflies are dying out.
The city lights confuse them.
I used to think they were fairies.

Put the little fairy bodies on my breast
right before you push the button.
We will all burn bright
One last time
before we return to the earth.

Fight! Never give up!
Live. Breathe. Love.
Let Death fear YOU!
Fight.

5/20/10