It’s not good.
Cancer
and very aggressive —
a rare form. Riddled
with tumors — all over — and spreading.
Being poisoned and affecting
all organisms that
depend on its host for
life.
This cancer is like an evil
network, connected
with intent,
neglectful of outcome,
ignorant
of effect,
almost no way to stop
its growth, almost no way to reverse
its damage,
like a savage greed devouring all
healthy tissue. No real treatment, but
at least it has been identified, and
now has
a name,
The dying helpless weakened victim. Earth.
The cancer: Humanity.
—
Burt Rashbaum’s publications are Of the Carousel (The Poet’s Press, 2019), and Blue Pedals (Editura Pim, 2015). He’s appeared in Art in the Time of Covid-19 (San Fedele Press, 2020), A 21st Century Plague: Poetry from a Pandemic (University Professors Press, 2021), The Antonym, The Seventh Quarry, Storms of the Inland Sea (Shanti Arts Press, 2022), Boats Against the Current, The Ravens Perch, Valiant Scribe, The Bluebird Word, The Seraphic Review, and Orange Juice.
