Glassfoot

glassfoot

++++++++++three a.m. thirsty and crawling
++++++++++chemo-induced miracle to be endured because
++++++++++(infusion clinic joke) the alternative is

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++glassfoot

++++++++++worse than fire ants worse than shoes full of shards
++++++++++fingernails falling off pulling away one by two afraid
++++++++++what’s in the beds they leave

glassfoot

++++++++++behind sitting on skeleton sharp without my cushion
++++++++++once I wished for skinny
++++++++++now I just wonder will we soon be seeing

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++glassfoot

++++++++++bones right there under the skin
++++++++++muscles like tissue wiping tears
++++++++++weeping just once when nurse asks
++++++++++you didn’t think it would look like a man’s

glassfoot

++++++++++chest bound like iron held together
++++++++++by what’s found in dahlias and peaches and clean sheets
++++++++++after all, when Cinderella had glassfoot
++++++++++she danced

 
Palmar-Plantar Erythrodysesthesia (PPE) is a side effect of some types of chemotherapy. PPE occurs when the drug leaks out of capillaries in the hands and feet, causing damage to the surrounding tissues. Symptoms range from redness and swelling to difficulty walking.

Kathryn Paul has lived in Seattle longer than she has lived anywhere else. She is a survivor of many things, including cancer and downsizing. Carving out time for poetry is the most important thing she does. Her poems have appeared or will appear in Stirring: A Literary Collection, The Fem, Words Dance, and Lunch Ticket’s “Amuse-Bouche” feature.