Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Photo by Motoki Tonn on Unsplash

You have been down this road before,
fighting the enemy within once more.
You thought you were over all this and in the clear,
you are a fighter so there is nothing to fear.
Follow the advice of the experts and you’ll soon be free,
to do as you once have done and
go out into the world and see
that with you still in it you are a blessing to all,
as we know your emotions to all of this are still raw.
You are a fighter battling this again,
cancer is the loser and you my friend will still win!

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Donna Hockman is a mother of two grown children as well as a grandmother. She is incarcerated in Virginia.