What’s Best Not To Be Caught Doing In the Stairwell (Middle-Aged Version)
Here’s an older poem for dVerse Poets Pub Open Link night and Thursday4Poets Rally, apologies to those who’ve seen it before. (The drawing at least is new.)
In the Stairwell
Descending the building’s stairs, she tests her breast,
fumbling beneath her bra to get to skin,
palpating (as they say) but in a mess
of here and there and not all within
the confines of an organized exam.
Silly to do it here, not time or place,
someone else might come, have to move her hand,
and yet fear seems to justify the race,
as if by checking each time it crosses mind,
especially checking fast, she can avoid
ever finding anything of the kind
that should not be found. And so, devoid
of caution, but full of care nonetheless,
she steps slowly down the stairs, feeling her breast.
PS – A version of this and other poems can be found in my poetry book on Amazon called “Going on Somewhere.” But, for real fun, check out my new teen novel, NOSE DIVE (written by Karin Gustafson, illustrated by the wonderful Jonathan Segal.)
Tags: "In the Stairwell", breast exam sonnet, dVerse Poets Pub, iPad art, Karin Gustafson poetry, manicddaily, Sonnet about fear of breast cancer
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
ManicDDaily 
November 29, 2011 at 3:49 pm
A beautiful and hard poem, Karin– so well-crafted I wasn’t overly conscious of the form. And of course, have that fear…. xxxxj http://parolavivace.blogspot.com .
November 29, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Jenne–Sorry I think the formatting was kind of messed up when you read it. I’m away from home and not really in blogging mode. Fixed now. K. PS-thanks for your kind words.
November 29, 2011 at 4:58 pm
oh god..she’s checking her breasts for knots in the stairwell…partly i can relate…honestly..fine write…great capture of her angst..
November 29, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Interesting take on an important subject, very well written. Good drawing, too.
November 29, 2011 at 5:07 pm
What I think every time I do it (though not in stairwells, usually) Didn’t even realize it was a sonnet til I read your tags. Most natural feeling (no puns intended.)
November 29, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Hi Hedge–I probably don’t follow sonnet meter. I am a bit lax about that–I aim for pentameter, but don’t worry about iambs. K.
November 29, 2011 at 6:04 pm
nice capture..having my own scare this year…i feel the angst behind it wanting to be safe…more than sorry….
November 29, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Nice capture…too many people these days facing the reality of this.
November 29, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Thanks–thanks to all for kind comments. K.
November 29, 2011 at 8:59 pm
Very interesting and captivating. You really make the details work here. The verse is so natural…I didn’t pay attention to form. Great artwork. Nicely done.
November 29, 2011 at 9:52 pm
This is synchronistic for me as a minutes ago I tossed my letter from the imaging center in the recycle bin. Mammogram said my breasts were perfect… well perfectly healthy anyway.
November 29, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Ha! Congrats!
November 29, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Hey when the idea pops in, go ahead and do it. Is scary too, one wants to check every chance they get.
November 30, 2011 at 8:04 am
A slice of real life well captured in a poem!
November 30, 2011 at 8:57 am
This catches both the uncertainty and trepidation of middle age, doing two things at once, each with their own dark possibilities. Yet what else can we do? (A Bronx cheer on Hedgewitch’s “this has a natural feeling”). Have you read Becky Kilsby’s poem on midage at the pub — it’s a sister to this one. Fine work – Brendan
November 30, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Wow, you capture the fear and uncertainty that we face. Love how you set this on a stairwell, in an unlikely place to show that concern permeates our consciousness at times.
December 1, 2011 at 3:08 am
I’m amused by the poem, but it does portray well the sudden thought on such things simply entering the mind anytime or anywhere.
December 1, 2011 at 6:58 am
I’m with Pat. The idea is father to the deed. Does the location matter SO much?
December 1, 2011 at 10:37 am
very interesting reactions in her, yet understandable.
lovely share,
December 1, 2011 at 12:15 pm
it’s a valid fear. thanks for sharing. made me think about getting a breast exam.
December 1, 2011 at 8:04 pm
I really appreciate the way you illustrated this, great job. I also dabble in painting, really enjoy this, stairs are great, but I love the darker lines behind the staircase, vague enough to be numerous items. Great job
December 2, 2011 at 12:28 am
unique and very interesting theme. liked the art too:)
December 2, 2011 at 11:42 am
bravo, powerful imagery on her reactions.
Happy Rally.
🙂
December 2, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Gotta do it when you’ve got the time, you know? 🙂
December 3, 2011 at 12:51 pm
The title of this is so fabulous, I started smiling even before I read the poem. What a great piece. Thanks for sharing this one for the rally!
December 4, 2011 at 3:27 pm
I hadn’t seen this before, and I like the subject matter (not as in ‘like’ like – I don’t want women to get breast cancer). Using that subject for a poem was a novel and interesting idea! Very nice piece!
December 4, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Amazing write–thought-provoking and intriguing. I remember doing stuff on the run because that way there’s no chance for bad news. Open a letter on the run and it’s wonderful inside. But stop to fully take it in and someone may have died.
December 5, 2011 at 2:51 pm
That’s not what I expected when I read the title, but I really enjoyed this 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Here’s mine for the rally: You’ve Taken My Voice
December 5, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Very interesting and thought provoking. At first I thought you were going to detail an intimate encounter. Well written.
December 7, 2011 at 11:22 am
it seems as if she doesn’t even know where she’s going.
nice artwork, for sure
December 7, 2011 at 11:27 am
Probably not! K.