A friend wrote this poem for me to commemorate the end
of my healing journey. She gave it to me on the anniversary
of my mastectomies with a scalpel, and told me that when the
time was right I could throw the scalpel away.  That day was
yesterday, and here is what she wrote.

Feathers

For ties that bind
and ties that cut
and ties that lay us down

For knives that cut
and knives that bend
and do not look around

The knives and ties
that cut your heart
while healing that above

They do not see
what’s clearly there
the feathers of The Dove

The Dove sees them
with their intent
to heal what is above

Not ever seeing
what’s beneath
those feathers of The Dove

Feathers soft
that stroke you now
you cannot feel above

Yet feel
those feathers underneath
 in your heart where lies The Dove

Goodbye to knives
goodbye to ties
The Dove can now fly on

For what is above
is finally healed
and now The Dove says, “DONE”