by Chioma Uzoigwe wrote this article.
I possessed more power than the mightiest of warriors.
My charisma spanned limitless ages
I captivated the youngest and oldest of audiences
Provoked the enamored into fits of jealous rage
My beauty was too great.
With the slightest of an improper glance
I brought nations to war
And yet,
I was the solution to years of endless famine
I once nourished your soul.
But now I am no longer pure
I succumbed to the monster that traversed my veins
Polluted my very essence and
Depleted me of all my capabilities
The struggle was much too great.
With me, you can climb the highest mountain,
Win the most coveted medals,
Or…even kill the beast that got the best of me.
But without me
Without me…
You could not even be the warrior that I can defeat.
I possessed more power than the mightiest of warriors.
If you ever doubted me
My absence should make you a believer.
This poem was part of the “Lila’s Breast” MPH project at UMDNJ. Students were required to write a poem concerning a cancer display consisting of three plaster castings of women who had a breast removed. Students were assigned a specific point of view (the wound; the surgeon, the missing breast; the cancer; the woman as she awakens; the plaster castings; etc.)
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