they told her it was pre-cancer
like she was pre-registering for
wedding gifts
don’t worry they said
the next test will tell us more
and more and more
but the test cost money and no smiles
from the financial counselor will discount
the little pre-cancer cells into a willingness
to wait
they keep dividing and mutating and growing
stealing hope like vultures feasting on road kill
you’ll be better—for a price
but first, another test.
J. Masuda © 2008