One Small Word

• Rebekah Reeves, Grade 7
• Poetry
• 2011

Just one, small word,
Six letters, two syllables,
Can turn one’s heart into cold, solid rock,
But at the same time, fill it with love; compassion.
It can bring out the worst in people,
And also the best.
It can shatter people’s personal strength,
Yet it can make them stronger than ever before.
It can make one feel so alone,
And it can make them feel so supported.
When the teary-eyed doctor delivers the news,
Devastated is an understatement of how we feel.
Cancer has no definite cure.
This one word,
Six letters, two syllables,
Can change people’s lives forever.