Why I Relay - A Poem
Saturday, March 10, 2012
By: Eden Wine

The darkness consumed my family when I was in grade three, at the time I did not understand what this meant to me.

The darkness consumed my family when I was in grade three,
At the time I did not understand what this meant to me.
I could sense the sorrow and sadness around the room,
When we went to visit my grandmother, there was nothing but gloom.
Leukemia had entered my Bubbie Rose,
It weakened her body from her head to her toes.
Even through it all she was able to smile,
Promising to one-day walk me down the aisle.
She was the sweetest and most accepting woman that I knew,
She was the type of woman that would always be there to support you.
A survivor of the Holocaust my Grandmother was strong,
My infinite memories of her are lifelong.
My Bubbie Rose is my role model, someone I strive to be,
If you got the chance to meet her I am sure you'd agree.
She never gave up on me as a child,
Even when I was acting out she always smiled.
How could cancer destroy someone with so much hope?
I think about her every day and it is hard to cope.
I will never forget her funeral day,
It was an event when cancer took my hero away.
Cancer did not stop there,
It also took my Grandfather; it's difficult to bear.
I was now a child that was in grade eight,
I was saddened to know that this was my grandfather's fate.
Zaidy Jack was a true inspiration,
For all that knew him there was only admiration.
The moments that I spent with him, I will never forget,
With him I would listen to his favourite cassette.
I felt like I was keeping my Zaidy alive,
I hoped and prayed that he would survive.
Cancer took away a man that was dear,
And through my heart it plunged a spear.
Both Rose and Jack will always be in my heart,
And I know they are together and never apart.
I want to find a cure to honour their lives,
I want to find a cure to help all children, husbands, and wives.

Cancer's destruction does not stop there,
It has reached so many of my loved ones, I cannot bear.
It is time to stand up and continue our fight,
A cure to this disease could bring a light.
In "Relay For Life" please sponsor my team,
Finding a cure for cancer is my dream.