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    • The Survival

Dunedin Secondary School Poetry Competition

The Survival

An ache led to a hospital bed
As an unfamiliar odour swarmed my nostrils
Disinfectants and cheap perfume
Unpleasant mixture
He lay there
His skin turned pale
As he thought he would
Never again see the light of day

An ache led to strain
And my heart began to cry
A flood of questions carved
Their way into my thoughts
Why him?

His body deteriorated
But he pushed on through
A pain I couldn’t relate myself to
I couldn’t share
I felt bad
Terrible even
But I would never retreat

He grew limp
As the paralysis set in
A large mass engulfed his spine
It grew, feeding off him as it’s
Energy source
Dividing, reproducing, multiplying
I wondered if it would ever stop

A miracle walking
That’s what he is
I could never quite fathom
But one thing I was certain
I was so glad to know him

He beat it
Like he took a big swing
And the bat sent the ball flying
He is a conqueror, an overcomer
He is a cancer survivor
He is my hero
He is my dad


Third (seniors)

Abi Barton
Year 13, Logan Park High School

Generously sponsored by

University of Otago

University of Otago: Dept of English & Linquistics

Otago University Press

Otago University Press

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