February 3,2009

Today is the day.
The day when I begin the journey back to ordinary.
The chemo is already attacking the enamel of the fangs-
along with the stomach and the mouth.
Today I do not have the energy to swoop down on an unsuspecting soul,
let alone the desire to sink my teeth into a tender neck.
A short walk down the corridor was all it took to send me back
to the comfort of my bed.
Where I wait.
Wait for the cells that arrived last night. Taken from a 24 year old stranger
who I one day hope to know. And thank.
Even now those cells are being counted. And decisions are being made
about the number of cells that will be dripped into my body.
They tell me this is my new birthday.
It is one I will now share with my own mother. Yes, vampires have Moms.
Wives. Husbands. Children. And Grandchildren.
It is from my family and friends that I draw my strength.
From my wife, a cancer survivor, who defied the odds to survive and give birth to our son.
From our son, who at the age of ten, fought for his life with a determination that has characterized his whole life.
And from our grandson, who in his incubator, held tight to his parents’ hands as they willed him to breathe.
I am doing this for me. It would be stupid to deny the obvious.
But I am doing it for them.
Because even Vampires love.