REMEMBER YOU MUST DIE

The Body Intervenes

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(Photograph: Tracey Emin, And It was Love (2023). © Tracey Emin. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd)

My friend Peter has prostate cancer; his wife has lung cancer. John has throat cancer and is receiving chemotherapy. Marianne has bowel cancer and is undergoing immunotherapy. Isaac has prostate cancer, urinates all the time, and screams as he does so. Arthur’s prostate cancer has returned, and Amir’s cancer is spreading to his spine.

My former girlfriend Victoria has dementia and cannot speak or walk. We recently learned that her younger sister has the same condition. Bruno came around the other day; I hadn’t seen him for two years. He was shaking and speaking in non sequiturs. “He’s another goner,” I thought. “He’ll be gone before me.”

It’s a toss-up as to who will be attending whose funeral. At the last one, I turned to my good friend Stephen and said, “It’s hardly worth our while going home.”