HEY CHICK

How did you become my friend?

I don’t know, it just - happened.
But you were my friend - right through to the end.
One day you’re the newbie.
And I‘m teaching you the drill.
The next we’re gossiping.
Shit - You loved the gossip thrill!.
Who, what with whom – an unquenchable thirst,
always wanting the insider news first.
Hey Krista, I can’t do that – now please - behave
But you and I both new I’d eventually cave.

You chose to work from home.
But any day we worked the same
I’d log in and wouldn’t be long.
That little instant message – bang on
Flashing bottom right of my screen.
“Hey Chick, how’s your day?”
“Hey Chick - how you goin’ – how you been?”

To be honest , after teaching you the role
I did my usual shit and slunk back inside my hole.
But you remembered me
And there you were - on my screen
“Hey chick, wanna meet for a snack and a chat?”
“Sure” and that was that.
You , me, Cate - a regular lunch date.

“Ok chicks what are we drinking?”
“Bubbles” you’d say - “Pink OK?”
“Oh, Absa-fucking-lutely!”

But then….
A message I wasn’t expecting.
Hey Louise,
I need you to call me ASAP - please

“Hey chick – I’ve got breast cancer”.
What was I supposed to say?
Hey you got this early hun
You gonna be fine, you’ll be okay.

But it was no ordinary cancer
And the fucker wouldn’t let you be
Tenaciously it dugs its claws in you
But you fought back at every fight
Your armed yourself with textbook facts
And rang your doctor day and night
Let’s try this treatment, let’s try that.
But the bastard whore of a disease
Got you despite all that expertise!
It had you on your knees!

I remember my last time I saw you and
How you broke the news.
“I’m palliative now, you know, Louise.”
“Yeah babe, I know” is all I could answer
That son of a bitch, that fucking cancer.
It won the battle, it took your boob
and half your chest wall – then you.

The day we all had to say goodbye
You made sure you had the right of reply
And lovingly obediently we all dressed ourselves in pink
Your coffin just the same of course
With champagne and glasses on the top
White or Pink? I could hear you whisper.

Well on that there’s no need to think.
And with a nod and a wink to where you now lay
I whispered back “Of course its pink - Abs-fucking-lutely, babe”.