Surviving Cancer: Poetry and Prose

By Frederick Douglas Harper

Surviving Cancer: Poetry and Prose reflects the author’s recent experiences as a cancer survivor and how cancer changed his worldview as an aging elder. Dr. Harper’s poetry and prose address his cancer treatment experience and his even greater disposition of humility from and appreciation of blessings during his lifetime—a life of serving and creating for the good of others. Featured poems and prose in this book include “Cancer: A Sweet-and-Sour Experience,” “A Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg” (who died from cancer), “Announcement of My Cancer to Friends and Family on Facebook,” “God Had My Back,” “A Hospital Visitor,” “Life with Healthcare,” “Trail of Tears: Forced Removal of Native Americans,” “A Child’s Nightly Prayer,” and “We Are All God’s Children.” The author’s purpose in all of his creative writings over the years has been to educate, therapize, enlighten, and inspire his readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669808251

Frederick Douglas Harper

A full-time writer and speaker, Dr. Frederick Douglas Harper retired as professor of counseling in 2012 after 42 years of teaching at Howard University. He has authored 14 poetry books, one major novel (The Durabone Prophecies), textbooks, and articles. Harper has served as Editor-in-Chief of three different scholarly journals. Also, he has presented speeches and conference papers throughout the United States and in other countries—including Argentina, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Since 1985, Harper has published more than 1,300 poems on topics such as social justice, peace, love, spirituality, human behavior, children, nature’s beauty, climate change, and human destiny. Most of his poems and creative prose are educational and therapeutic. A devoted jogger, Harper has jogged more than 42,000 miles. He is the proud father of two sons and proud grandfather of four grandchildren.

Book preview

CANCER: A SWEET-AND-SOUR EXPERIENCE

In July 2020, I was diagnosed with cancer as a doctor said;

Without my earthly and heavenly guardian angels and good

healthcare, I certainly could be dead;

I suspected such diagnosis and thus had no fear;

Neither did I breathe deeply or shed a tear;

I told a few among family and friends soon after one day,

Because cancer is not something that I’m ashamed to say;

Yes, through the pain from surgery and chemo, I never lost

sight—

Of the joy and appreciation of my kind and competent

healthcare workers both day and night;

Loving family and friends were there by my side,

While impostors found a way to dodge and hide;

And, of course, I prayed for God to allow me to live to do

His will—

And not let microscopic cancer cells find a way to kill;

And now I’m cured and cancer-free;

I’m ready to continue God’s work as usual and as you can

now see.

Note. This poem was written during December, 2020 soon after my chemo treatment and cancer-free diagnosis.

A TRIBUTE TO RUTH BADER GINSBURG

  A woman warrior has unfortunately died;

  She daily worked hard and consistently tried—

  Succeeding in every way, she so did,

  She never cowered and she never hid.

  She fought on the political battlefield

  And in legal arenas of men—

  Never to back down and often to win.

  To age 87, she persevered and stayed alive,

  Simply because she didn’t want to see

  Democracy die.

  Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a fighter for

  Women’s rights, social justice, civil rights,

  And equal rights for all.

  She successfully fought to strike down

  Practices of gender and racial discrimination.

  Ruth Bader Ginsburg,

  You fought tirelessly for equal justice for all;

  You fought tirelessly for women to be in all

  Places where decisions are made;

  You were a warrior to your end—

  You protected your chin from chauvinistic and

  Misogynistic men.

  May your legacy persist through eons

  And in perpetuity, and may your soul

  Ascend to God’s heaven.

Note. This poem was written September 20, 2020 soon after the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg died from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer on September 18, 2020.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF MY CANCER TO

FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON FACEBOOK

On July 8th [2020], after a colonoscopy, I was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 77. Thank God the cancer had not spread to my liver or any other organs. On August 5th, a God-sent, competent, young, woman surgeon removed the colon tumor. Afterwards, a CT scan showed cancer cells remained in only three out of 45 nearby lymph nodes. Therefore, short-term chemotherapy (six sessions over three months) was recommended by my oncologist and successfully completed on November 25th (Thanksgiving eve) with none of the expected side effects.

I only told a few people about my illness, including my sons, my two former wives, two longtime constant friends of 50-plus years, a couple of male friends from my fitness club, and a couple of neighbors. I didn’t want a lot of phone calls, because I felt the need to focus on my treatment (reading about my cancer and its treatment, exercising, following medical instructions, and eating right).

I thank God and God’s guardian angels for watching over me, and I thank close friends and immediate family who helped me through this challenge. My older son, Freddy, flew down from New York to spend a weekend with me. I told my younger son, Renfred, in San Francisco, not to come due to the long flight time and Covid-19 risk. My former wife Jacqueline (mother of my younger son) drove up to Alexandria, VA (a suburb of Washington, D.C.) from North Carolina on four weekends after chemo treatment, to help me (e.g., cooking, washing clothes, washing my hair, cutting my hair, cleaning the house, walking-jogging in the park with me as exercise, and just being present to provide emotional support). My other former wife, Bentley, phoned regularly, texted inspirational prayers and quotes, sent two pairs of pajamas, and answered some of my medical questions, because she is a medical doctor. My jogging partner and my two constant friends of more than 50 years checked in with me regularly by phone (voice and text message), and two of them from my metro area walked with me in my favorite park.

My whole experience from colonoscopy to major surgery to chemo treatment was sweet and sour, because through pain and discomfort at times, I had none of the possible complications or side effects, and, most of all, I received love from family and friends who cared. When you’re sick, you find out who really cares about you and who is there for you. I was also blessed to have a number of healthcare workers (including nurses and doctors) who were kind and competent.

If I can recommend anything to you, I strongly suggest that you get a colonoscopy at or after age 50 if not earlier if cancer runs in your family. Although recommended by my primary care physicians over the years, I had avoided a colonoscopy until gastrointestinal symptoms occurred that led me to a gastroenterologist. I had convinced myself that this medical procedure was not necessary, because cancer doesn’t run in my family. These symptoms included loss of appetite, significant loss of weight, intermittent stomach aches, and iron-deficient anemia. Needless to say, my colon cancer was preventable if I had gotten routine colonoscopies when they were recommended by my doctors. Such colonoscopies would have discovered and removed any polyps that were pre-cancerous.

I suspected my cancer diagnosis; however, when I was told, I was at peace and not saddened or afraid for some reason. I realized that God’s guardian angels had protected me all of my life. I reflect back to 1983 (37 years prior to the diagnosis), while getting a haircut, when a clairvoyant woman, whom I didn’t know, approached me and told me that she was sorry, but she had something that she must tell me. She stated in the following exact words, As long as you do God’s will, you will not have to worry about your health. I am now posting this revelation of my health challenge on Facebook so that my extended family and friends will know from me instead of learning inaccurate information from hearsay or rumors. Moreover, I am posting this so that my experience can be a lesson for others to acquire a colonoscopy, because colon cancer is primarily