Photography > common threads

The Gown

The cloak of denial
Has slipped from my shoulders
The second breast must go
The long fought decision
Has been made

I dress myself in courage
And go to the hospital

The second breast is gone
Once more I gaze downward
With tears in my eyes
Once more the pain and fear
Overwhelms me

My courage lies
In threads
Upon the floor

Soon I will gather
Each fragile fiber
And weave into
A mantle of hope.


Lois Hjelmstad