I wish I had Said Nothing~By Mutshidzi

It’s past midnight.
I’m on the edge of my bed.
The only sounds…
my pounding heart
and my grandmother’s
ancient clock.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
It’s almost deafening.

Maybe I should sleep.
But what if I don’t wake up?
I can’t close my eyes.
My mind is just dancing to fear.
I’ve given myself a racing heart
just by thinking.

I wish I’d said nothing
when they asked for the signs.
The symptoms that led them to cancer.
I wish I had kept my mouth shut.
Maybe then…
some other kind of miracle
would have found me.

By: Mutshidzi