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Chance of Survival
Lisa Molina
Originally published in Trouvaille Review, in slightly different form, entitled “Prognosis Percentage,” November 29, 2020
The boy, age 13
battling leukemia 3 times
since he was 3,
asks,
“What’s my chance of survival, Dr. Lee?”
Dr. Lee locks eyes with boy,
and says,
“40%,”
cautiously.
Furiously, insistently,
boy pounds fist on table
“I’ll take nothing less than 50!”
Negotiating for his life.
Roar of silence.
Three.
Second.
Wait.
Doctor Lee’s eyes crinkle as he laughs,
offering his hand, the boy’s to grasp.
“You’ve got it!”
The deal is done.
The bidding won.
All parties agree.
Heartily.
And that boy-fighter
of unrelenting hope,
gets 10 percent more,
so he may cope.
And he,
in time,
survived,
the climb.
Chance of survival?
It’s just a number to hear.
For no one number can suffice,
the value of my boy’s saved life.
You Are
You are the winds of spring
when I’m stuck in the muck
of winter isolation, hibernation.
Your breezy breath lifts
me up and I am moved
by your life force.
You are toddler nesting toys,
whose colors and shapes can be
separate, but make us whole
when the layers are fitted and
snuggling together.
You are your old soft cotton
well-worn Dire Straits concert t-shirt,
keeping me young, singing, dancing,
as we navigate the crying guitar solos
and dire straits of life.
You are my hot and spicy
chile pequin pepper
that grows wild in south Texas,
adding flavor and kick to my
bland Scandinavian palette.
You are a combination
of perfection.
Poet's Description for "Chance of Survival"
This poem is based on an actual event that occurred when my son, then 13 years old, was battling leukemia for the third time since he was 3 years old. I wanted to express the grit and determination he showed in battling this disease, when he insisted that he have at least a 50% chance of survival.
He did survive. He’s now 25 years old, cancer-free, a college graduate, and works for the US Department of Treasury.
He has graciously granted me permission to share this story.
LISA MOLINA
Lisa Molina is a writer and educator in Austin, Texas. She has taught high school English and theatre, served as Associate Publisher of Austin Family Magazine, and now works with students with special needs. She enjoys reading, playing piano, singing, and marveling at nature with her family. Her writing can be found in numerous online and print journals, including Beyond Words Magazine, Trouvaille Review, Amethyst Review, Neologism Poetry Ancient Paths, and The Ekphrastic Review.