A new chapter begins

It's a lesson I thought I had already learned;

apparently the Universe thought
I needed another tutorial.

The power of a single word 

to change the trajectory of my life.

 YES

as in

"Will you marry me?"

from the love of my young life

or

"Will you quit your job and trust me?"

from God

or

"Will you come back to work 
and be a voice for wounded children again
in a new way?"

from a beloved colleague

~~~~~~~~~~

DIVORCE

as in

"I want a _______."

Suddenly the future I'd envisioned
for myself and my children 

went up in smoke

and I watched in stunned silence

as it vanished,

 though I couldn't see clearly 

through all my tears.

~~~~~~~~~~

CANCER

as in,

"I'm so sorry to tell you, 
but you have ______."

Suddenly all the seemingly disparate symptoms

that have plagued for months,

(years, actually)

made sense

and the feeling of foreboding

I've lived with for weeks

wasn't merely paranoia 

but precognition;

my true self 

giving advance warning,

laying the ground work

to enable the hearing

of 

a 

single

word.