SCRAMBLER presents
04 | 03.2017
Leukemia
by Oriette D'Angelo, translated by Jeremy Spencer
They tell you that your mother will die
they sit you on substitute legs and explain
that you have to be strong
that bones will eat her flesh
and her hair will fall out.
They tell you
that everything will be ok
and place a prayer bible in front of you.
Beet juice
(to prevent destiny
to not activate sick genes
—that you already have—
to grind your teeth
does not hurt very much)
and your enclosed mother expects you to understand
what you want
is her not to leave, although you are eight years old
although she will not be the one to explain
how to be a woman.
And your mother does not die
she lives and sings and dreams and has long hair
and marries again and has a dog and graduates with you
works and buys gifts
scolds and advises
is strong and bleeds, cries and is disappointed
and your mother lives
they tell you many times
and lives
but the moment that they explained to you
what life was without her
—
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