Voices from a Windy Cliff

It was slightly comical,
Slightly insane, the manner
In which, before surgery,

The surgeon and patient sat
Chatting about possible
Outcomes, probabilities,

In clear, lighthearted voices,
Friendly new acquaintances
Who could have been discussing

The weather as easily.
“If the nodes test negative,
That’ll be great, what we want.

Of course we’ll still do chemo.
If they come back positive,
The chemo just buys some time,

But probably not a lot.”
Imagine driving a cliff
Road rapidly eroding,

While chatting casually
About driving strategy
And when to know you’re over

The edge, how the wheels will feel
Once spinning in empty air.
The cliff would crumble quicker,

Of course, than would the body
With the cancer. Then again,
Weather can be a killer,

Part of why folks talk so much
About storms and their forces,
And what every omen means,

Since every conversation
About how things will turn out
Turns on slower or faster.