A True Jedi Knight

Miles was the new kid in school.
Scrawny with big ears, not “cool”.
Pushed, shoved, called names,
He came home feeling ashamed.

Mom gave him a loving hug.
At eight, he was her “doodlebug”.
He told her everything was okay.
Never let em see you sweat, Dad would say.

Across the street, he spied a van.
A pretty blonde girl, an oxygen stand.
Regally she sat in a wheelchair.
He felt excitement, magic in the air.

Mile’s mom took over a pie,
He came home to see her cry.
The angel he saw had a bad diagnosis.
Messing up her lungs was cystic fibrosis

He went over to visit, wearing a mask.
He was kinda anxious. She was a blast!
The girl was a serious Jedi knight.
Smart, brave and knew how to fight.

Gabby had this awful disease, so tough.
Every hour she was doing painful stuff.
Her mom used a vibrating strange machine,
Then beat on her back to cough up green.

We played video games in-between.
She kicked my ass, this girl was mean.
She told me about her goals and dreams.
No monster gonna kill her, she had deemed.

School by Skype, she made me look dumb.
Helped me out, my grades came up.
I no longer cared about idiot kids.
What did they know about life as it really is?

Yesterday, I saw a girl with a cough and soft glow.
Reminders of a special time long ago.
When I shared Gabby’s medical warship,
it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

By Kathie Stehr
Aug. 15, 2021

36 lines

Dedicated to Courtney, my son's good friend that had Cystic Fibrosis. She has angel wings now!