In 2012, I was diagnosed with a type of leukemia known as hairy cell. Thanks to the miracle workers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), those nasty little hairy cells were put into remission where they remain today.
Several years later, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and have had several surgeries and treatments since. Again, thanks to the doctors I have been lucky enough to find , this too, is in remission.
Now, I have been diagnosed once again with a another kind of cancer: Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML). This has left me somewhat incapacitated (fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite) though I am now on a treatment plan which will hopefully lead to better days.
As a result of the seemingly never-ending recurrence of this disease , I came up with this year’s theme: “Let’s Not Talk About Cancer.” It’s a curious call because, though the directive seems to dictate avoiding the topic, it has spurred almost everyone on to do just the opposite: to write poems about their own experiences, either as patients or as caretakers. And that’s just fine, because this is a topic that needs wide-open discussion since cancer is a disease that touches almost everyone in one way or another.
And so I present this year’s 30 for 30 for National Poetry Month. Once again, it is sponsored by the good people at Potomac Review. And, once again, a winner will be chosen to receive a one-year subscription to that illustrious journal. This year’s judge is Joan Dobbie who hails from Oregon and who has participated in 30 for 30 in the past.
In addition, I will be asking for donations this year to either The American Cancer Society or The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Donations are voluntary and anonymous. However, given the nature of this disease and the good work both of these organizations do (besides supporting research, they offer support in many forms to both victims of cancer and their caretakers), donations are encouraged.
And so let the poems begin. As usual, they can be accessed at www.mikemaggio.net. I hope this year’s 30 for 30 speaks to you in numerous and profound ways. May we all lead healthy and happy lives.
Best,
Mike
30 for 30 is sponsored by Potomac Review
Oh, Mike, I am so sorry that this has come back to bite you for the third time–in a different form. You are a trooper and a dedicated poet. I have no apppropriate poems at the moment but will give it some thought. Please, be well.
Thanks so much Terry.