After-Shock

Posted bywordsandcoffee1Posted inCancer, Poetry, W3 PromptsTags:, , , , , , , , , , , 
She's nobody's fool
to think she deserved some reprieve
from these headwinds and chaos,
the tumultuous days
when she was caught up in the storm.
Now, she spins circles,
finds the air is still loaded
with the damp heaviness 
that forbodes a second storm.

I wrote this poem for the Wea’ve Written Weekly prompt #165, which was provided this week by Bob Lynn. The prompt guidelines are below, and it involves explaining briefly how the poem connects to the theme “what remains”.

My poem was inspired by a meeting with another young survivor from my AYA cancer support group. She’s recently been deemed “NED” (in layman’s terms, “remission”) and is moving from the active treatment phase of life to life in survivorship.

As we sat down over breakfast, I wished I could offer her a quick solution to the pain and ongoing struggles of survivorship, but it’s a long and hard process, especially early survivorship. I explained some tools I found valuable, and we bemoaned how time is really the greatest healer and can’t be rushed. There’s a lot of trauma to unpack after treatment, and it’s been compared to the grief process. It really is like the after-shock of a powerful storm. You have to uncover who you are now through what remains of who you were before and what life can be going forward.

Here are the details of the prompt:

Part 1: The Prompt Poem

Read and draw inspiration from Bob’s poem. What Remains.

Part 2: The Challenge

Write an original poem inspired by ‘What Remains’ that meets both of these requirements:

  1. Requirement 1: Poetic Device
    • Your poem must prominently feature metaphor as a central device. Like the dandelions in the inspiration piece, use metaphorical imagery to explore themes of persistence, belonging, growth, or survival.
  2. Requirement 2: Required Phrase
    • Your poem must include the exact phrase “nobody’s rules” somewhere within the text. You may use it as written, or incorporate it naturally into your poem’s flow and structure.

Guidelines

  • Submit your original poem along with a brief note (2-3 sentences) explaining how your metaphor connects to the themes in “What Remains”
  • All poetic forms are welcome – from free verse to structured forms like sonnets or haikus
  • No length restrictions beyond what serves your artistic vision

26 thoughts on “After-Shock”

  5. Hi Sarah – what a beautifully crafted exploration of that liminal space between storms! Your poem captures something so universally human yet deeply personal – that moment when we’re not quite in crisis but can sense it approaching. The way you’ve woven the storm metaphor throughout creates such atmospheric tension, and I’m particularly drawn to how you’ve characterised your speaker as “nobody’s fool.” There’s real strength in that acknowledgement of hard-won wisdom.

    Your imagery is wonderfully evocative – that “damp heaviness” practically hangs in the air as I read, and the idea of spinning circles perfectly captures that restless, anticipatory energy we feel when we know challenges lie ahead. The progression from past trauma through present unease to future apprehension feels so authentic and emotionally true. You’ve managed to convey both vulnerability and resilience simultaneously, which is no small feat. This poem speaks to anyone who’s weathered difficulties and learned to read the signs of approaching storms – it’s deeply relatable whilst remaining artistically sophisticated.

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    1. Thank you for your wise words and feedback! I really enjoyed your prompt this week. There is definitely a tough balance between vulnerability and resilience that comes with sharing about a traumatic experience; I’m glad that balance came through in the poem.

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  8. Sarah, “she spins circles, / finds the air is still loaded” is so perfect—it captures that unsteady limbo of survivorship with such clarity. I really feel the weight of that post-storm quiet.

    ~David

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  9. After I read the authors notes that followed this piece, I had to go back and read it again from that perspective. What tumultuous paths the two of you have and are traversing- thank you for giving me an inkling of how that feels.

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