A Poem for Leukemia

Splenomegaly


Behind every spleen is an army:
villous or follicular
spreading out over the entire battlefield.
A degenerative quadrant of multiple loops
multiple troops marching remarkably.
A remarkable echotexture, unquestionably alive.

The question to be answered then
regarding this conflict
this landscape we call biology
this battle between the Red 
and the White:
What cardinal comparison approximately

can be had between a tumor
and a lesion. 
From whence came 
this foreign legion
this lethal militia
upon you, 

my proliferative warrior 
my unflinching, my unsparing unvanquished soldier.

Copyright 2012, 2025 Mike Maggio