I’m ringing one of those bells, like the ones
cancer patients ring in the hospital. But this
isn’t a hospital, and I’m not a cancer patient.
There are people lining either side of the hallway,
but they’re not doctors or nurses. Or maybe
some of them are doctors, but not cancer doctors.
Maybe they are friends or family, or both. Anyway,
they’re clapping me. I’m ringing this bell, and they’re
lining the hallway, giving me an ovation. I’ve made it.
Through all the hard work, sickness and failure,
I’ve come out the other end. I’ve emerged from
the darkness, and I’m ringing the bell. This is how
I picture it anyway. Maybe it’s not quite like that.
Perhaps every day it’s a different bell. Or maybe
it’s the same bell every day, and you get to ring it
anew each time you go to bed. And the only ones
there to clap you are the voices in your head.
Ring the bell and listen, listen carefully. You’ve
made it. For now, you’ve made it. Listen, friend.
Joshua Seigal
