One-Half Teaspoon

Aileen Holthaus writes about her first day of chemotherapy for follicular lymphoma, and the challenges it presented.

One-Half Teaspoon:

After

first day of chemo

poked, prodded

poison poured in,

after

six hours tethered

to infusion chair,

a necessary assault

on my cells,

after

reaching refuge

of home,

realized sum total

of energy left

in my whole body

was one-half teaspoon.

Used whole amount

crawling into bed.