One Node Over The Line

After my kindly surgical oncologist found fourteen malignant lymph nodes back in the summer of ’03, my prognosis was looking just a bit grim. But thanks to a bit of luck and a boatload of toxic chemicals I’m still here nine years later.

I often wonder why in the heck I’m blogging and facebooking and haven’t “moved on” by now. But I think it’s because I hope I might lend some encouragement to newly diagnosed mole mates just by showing up and being counted among the undead.

So for all of you recent check-ins at the Hotel Melanoma, here’s a slightly twisted rendition of Brewer & Shipley’s “One Toke Over The Line”…


One node over the line sweet Jesus
One node over the line
Sittin' in gown joinin’ Black C Nation
One node over the line

Awaitin' for the scan that shows brain, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the scan is on time
Sittin' in gown joinin’ Black C Nation
One node over the line

Whoooo do you cure, I hope it's me
I've been a tannin', as you can plainly see
I felt no joy and I learned about sun rays that my momma said
If I should choose to make a part of me, surely strike me dead
And now I'm one node over the line sweet Jesus
One node over the line
Sittin' in gown joinin’ Black C Nation
One node over the line
I'm waitin' for the scan that shows brain sweet Mary
Hopin' that the scan is on time
Sittin' in gown joining Black C Nation
One node over the line

I ‘screen away the UV guile,
Now I'm not burnin’, showin' off pale style
I met all the cures and drugged myself anew
And to my surprise like everything else I've been through
It opened up my eyes and now I'm
One node over the line sweet Jesus
One node over the line
Sittin' in gown joinin’ Black C Nation
Don't you just know I waitin' for the scan that shows brain sweet Mary
Hopin' that the scan is on time
Sittin' in gown joinin’ Black C Nation
One node over the line

Don't you just know I waitin' for the brain that glows no sweet Mary
Hopin' that my brain in just fine
Sittin' in gown as new cancer patient
One node over the line

Don’t want to be
One node over the line sweet Jesus
One node over the line
Sittin' in gown joinin’ Paler Nation
One node over the line
Don't you just know I’m waitin' for the brain that glows no sweet Mary
Hopin' that my brain in just fine
Sittin' in gown in a PET scan station
One node over the line
Sittin' in gown in a PET scan station
One node over line
One node, one node over the line