I Barely Know Her

I barely know her
I’d never seen her face
I barely know her
But my tears are for her

She’s a friend of a friend
Drinks and laughs one night out
Later a facebook friend
For future wild nights out

A facebook status update
Announces the worst news
She’s got Leukaemia
And suddenly she’s my world

I read her statuses daily
To see how she is
A harrowing account of life
Through her anxious eyes

The tests and chemo she endures
Doesn’t break her spirit
I smile when I read
She’s optimistic through it all

Her statuses suddenly change tone
Yet I’m drawn to them everyday
They get a little more serious
As the sober reality sinks in

The laughter has gone
Replaced with sheer fear
Should she begin the fight to survive
Or prepare for the afterlife

A donor has been found
German she is
We all smile at this status
The mirth has returned

Preparations abound for her climb
The summit she must reach
She climbs every day
But she’s weary and weak

Then the statutes stopped
She was last “roaring into the wind”
I check everyday for some glimmer of hope
But there’s nothing for days

Suddenly posts appear on her wall
Friends encouraging her to fight
To pull through it all
And to continue the climb….

She’s not doing so well today
It’s a bad place on the mountain
But we all have to believe
The summit is within reach

I barely know her
But she’s with me every day
I barely know her
But my hope is one day I will

EPILOGUE:

I barely know her & now I never will
She fought a very courageous battle
But the summit was just out of reach
I barely knew her.....I just wish I had

RIP Emma Salt xxx