The Girl Next Door

henna-temporary-tattoo-cancer-patients-henna-heals-2

He missed her.

He missed her off-key singing,

He missed the hymns of her wind-chimes

Dancing at the open windows.

He missed listening to her dreams of Georgetown.

He missed the peals of laughter and

The mischief glinting in her eyes.

He missed the thick amber rush of her hair,

Cascading into the fresh winds.

Curling and framing her impish grins,

Magically reflecting her moods in the softening moonlight.

Just as he had finally mustered the courage

To ask her out on a date,

The windows locked shut and

The lights turned off for weeks.

A Monday morning came with groans and

… Distant off-key singing.

He ran to the balcony in ecstasy to be greeted

By a rainbow of cavorting bandanas at her window.

He saw her face marred with the burns of

Chemo and radiation – spelling one dreaded word.

Yet her eyes glimmered with smug satisfaction,

As she showed off her henna crown.

She looked like hope and optimism,

Her glory of the amber hair replaced by the

Strength flowing from the curl of her smiles

And the shine of her eyes.

More confident than he had ever been,

He managed to ask, dinner and movie tonight?


We are splitting hairs at dVerse tonight, with Anthony setting us to write about hair – literally or metaphorically. Hop in!

Image Source (Do read this article): http://www.boredpanda.com/henna-temporary-tattoo-cancer-patients-henna-heals/

55 thoughts on “The Girl Next Door

  1. Lovely, Lovely. Lovely. And did I say lovely. I was hooked on the henna and that gorgeous smile before I even read the poem…

    And then.

    It’s love. It’s stronger than a word or a disease.

    It’s the dinner and a movie and the everyday, when I’m thinking that’s exactly what’s most needed.

    I’m swooning at the beauty of this. ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    • This was such a beautiful response ❤ Thank you! The article is astounding; I hope you went through it. The tiny, intangible moments of a life together are priceless aren't they?

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  2. good for him…and for her…
    for facing this…and not letting it make them afraid of what could happen
    and miss what is happening…i like her strength in the face of adversity….

    was this a made up story or a real person?

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    • Thank you Brian!
      While this particular story was made-up, I was inspired by the real life incidents where people have stuck together in the face of extreme adversity. So in a way, the spirit captured is very real.

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  3. Wonderful! And he found there was more to beauty than cascades of hair and she showed her true beauty with her strength and courage and determination to make a different beauty. I like this story and poem very much. Excellent job.

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  4. Absolutely beautiful! I love how you tied the curls in the hair to the curls in her smile–very clever. This was a delight to read, and left me with big smiles–thank you!

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