Cancer tests your body; the blight may strike again.
And in every heartbeat, in every breath,
You declare: ‘I am strong. I am brave.
Once again, I will rise; once again I will fight.’
Tasneem Hossain, a multi-lingual poet, author, educator, translator, and columnist from Bangladesh, has left an indelible mark on contemporary literature. Writing in English, Bengali, and Urdu, she crafts poetry, fiction, translations, and essays with a voice that resonates across cultures.
Her works have become teaching material in universities in Bangladesh and China, and has been the subject of scholarly research papers and cited in scholarly research papers too. She conducts international haiku workshops, fostering literary creativity worldwide on an international poetry platform Life in Lyrics.
Recognized among the ‘100 Most Influential Literary Figures of 2025’ by Barcelona Adibia, she is the winner of the Walt Whitman 2025 Contest; earned first place in the Friedrich Schiller International Literary Competition 2025; has won the prestigious Giovanni Pascoli Award 2026-2027 and Shahittyapata Award 2025 and 2026.
Featured in more than 280 anthologies, journals, newspapers, and magazines worldwide, her poems have been translated into 21 languages.
She is an Editorial Ambassador for Wordsmith International Editorial (USA) and Board Ambassador of Literacy and Culture for the Asih Sasami Indonesia Foundation.
Publications: Grass in Green, The Pearl Necklace, and Floating Feathers (poetry) and Split and Splice (article). Four more books are underway: Colours of Love, Spring Flowers of My Soul, A Tapestry of Tales: Everyday Lives, Extraordinary Stories, and Split and Splice -2
An ex faculty of CUET, she is a seasoned educator and business consultant and directs two human resource organizations (Bangladesh and Canada). With a rich background in radio, theatre, and sports, her life is a tapestry of creativity, intellect, and passion.
Thoughts of a Cancer Patient
When life fills with darkness
And your world becomes lusterless,
There’s an urge to leave the bone breaking pain;
To embrace eternal grave.
A tiny voice whispers, ‘Daadi I love you.’
The soft reassuring voice says,
‘Ammu you are strong, you can make it through,
Tame your body and plead her softly to soothe you.’
The smiling faces together say,
‘Ma, you will be okay, we know.’
The weary and tired taking care of you
Lies beside you.
He gently caresses and softly touches the head,
‘You are the best.’
The prayers and care of your loved ones fill your heart.
Their calm and dedication gently lights the path.
In their divine embrace, you find your strength
And you know it’s not over yet.
The resilience within you rises like the morning sun.
You fight, you endure and conquer each trial.
With God’s blessings and the love surrounding you,
You stand tall, a champion of hope.
You know that cancer may test your body,
But your soul will not break.
God will pave the way to pass the test;
And once again you will be okay.
You rise- unyielding, unbroken, unstoppable.
Your courage roars louder than the pain.
Your resilience shines brighter than the darkest plight.
A warrior, you fight with heart and soul.
Your spirit stands invincible and alive.
Through love, faith and unshakeable will
You conquer, you endure- triumphant, you win.
The light of love is stronger than the demons inside.
You know, it’s not over yet.
Cancer tests your body; the blight may strike again.
And in every heartbeat, in every breath,
You declare: ‘I am strong. I am brave.
Once again, I will rise; once again I will fight.’
Death is inevitable. God plans how long you will survive.
It is this that calms the mind and reaches Almighty’s gate.
He says, ‘I hear your prayers. You will be safe.’
***
Cancer affects millions of lives worldwide. June is National Cancer Survivors Day (first Sunday in June) in the United States and is celebrated globally; June is also declared National Cancer Survivor Month primarily in the United States.
However, we can create awareness together, fund research, and celebrate survivorship around the year. Every month offers a focused opportunity to focus on specific types of cancer to educate and advocate for early detection, and give support to those impacted.
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Read: I Wait in Silence – Poetry from Bangladesh
