twenty years later the end result is the same

& I realize only now

probably justified

yet it isn’t just the finality of the decision

to slash away at our femininity

that haunts my sensibilities and consciousness

that gnaws at the scars of my anger for you

but the contrast in the process

of the gentle men & gentle women

who listen and discuss

who share their worries & concerns

who weigh the options with us

who offer empathy & hope

rather than the callousness of a medical power butcher

that declared you

old and useless and unnecessary

a woman barely salvageable

a procedure not a name