The quiet bravery of breast cancer screening
There is a stillness in the waiting room,
not exactly silence,
but a quiet that settles over chairs,
minds diverted elsewhere.
Here, women sit in chairs
with their thoughts
floating in opposing directions,
pretending to read magazines,
while their minds
wander hallways
they would rather not travel.
My name is called softly,
and my heart skips a beat,
the time has come.
I follow the routine,
changing from street clothes
into bare arms and a borrowed gown
that never seems to fit properly.
I take a deep breath,
trying …
