A Voice That Is No More

At one of many parties, his laughter would echo throughout,
He'd laugh so much with the volume up, till he forgot what it was all about,
I could pick his voice in a crowded room, even with my eyes closed,
The distinct laughing and yelling of him, that everyone grew to know.

When I was young, I did silly things, his voice would boom at me,
His shouting voice would mean a smack, no escaping that I foresee,
In an argument about something or other, his voice would be up loud,
There was no hiding a vocal barrage, even if you hid your head in a cloud.

Maybe it was the beer or other stuff, maybe the smoking was the answer,
After giving them up for a number of years, he was diagnosed with throat cancer,
The Chemo didn't make a dent, and his condition got worse by the day,
Until he was rushed to hospital, to remove all cancer, they couldn't say.

After Chemo and stuff, he lost heaps of weight, at least twenty kilos or more,
He lost a bit more getting sick now and then, I couldn't quite keep up with the score,
Then push came to shove, he had to act quick, something has to be done no doubt,
The only recommendation from the doctor's, was for his Larynx, voice box to come out.

Rehab seemed hard, feeding time was painful, but if you don't eat you will die,
And the lack of communication, was frustrating at best, he seemed angry I won't lie,
More frustrations when he needed to "talk", you could cut his tension with a knife,
Tubes coming out here and Chemo scars there, he clawed his way back to a life.

The worst is behind, there is so much to live for, I understand when he talks with his stoma,
He has come a long way from when once he choked, and was placed in an induced coma,
He seems to be sick every now and again, but if you ask him he says he is fine,
Always looking forward to coming to visit, and get some grand daughter time.