Five little fingers, she bravely held high. 

She measured her pain on a scale of five. 

Five on five she signalled with her flaccid hands. 

She was in very close proximity to becoming a mental wreck.

 She was adorned with various gauzy tubes. 

In a room where she had spent the whole afternoon.

An odour to others, and scent to her nose.

 That place to her was just like her second home. 

Five months of struggle, a phase of unceasing pain.

 She fought harder and harder as the doses escalated.

 Radiations and Chemos, Lenvima and Opdivo.

 She went through all, she had it all.

 Like the hero she was, she beamed all along.

Five little fingers, she bravely held high. 

She measured her pain, on a scale of five. 

Five on five she signalled before bidding goodbye. 

As she left for another battle for her life. 

She fought for an hour with the utmost poise.

 And defeated the canker with her courageous smile. 

Five little fingers, she bravely held high.

 Not to measure her pain but to wave her pain goodbye!

– Chitra Mishra (PGDM 2020-22)