For forty years, Robert L. Lynn sought to live a life of faith and record that journey in verse. This volume of 52 poems marks a trail of his spiritual walk toward mature faith. The title poem, Cancer Is So Limited, with its runaway fame, is an example of the power of his poetry. Written to encourage a friend who had terminal cancer, it circled the globe on the web anonymously and brought hope to millions.
This book’s title establishes Lynn as the author of the copyrighted poem, which generated 167,000,000 internet hits. Lynn’s other 51 poems have spiritual power for those who seek a vibrant and rewarding faith in a harsh and conflicting world. This includes a set of poems and bursts of praise, and poems about Robert L. Lynn’s life-long pursuit of a serious, intelligent faith.
As a new college president with students who disliked speeches but loved poetry, he presented original poems for his students at least once a year for 22 years. Effective poetry often shreds the chaff and distils truth to its essence. Faith Poet Robert L. Lynn offers a 21st century torch in this book to those engaged seriously in the modern questing towards faith.
Dr. Lynn and his wife, Dr. Bonnie Lynn, live in Duluth, Georgia. He has written over 400 poems and won over 100 poetry prizes. A leader in the Georgia Poetry Society, he edited the Society’s poetry anthology, The Reach of Song, for three years. He chairs the Johns Creek Poetry Group in Atlanta and is a deacon and Sunday School teacher in his congregation. This is his third poetry volume. You can hear him recite his poetry at http://www.robertllynn.com
Dr. Robert L. Lynn has written or edited ten books, including two volumes of poetry, Service Yields Its Own Rewards (2007) and Midnight Verse (2009). He edited for three years The Reach of Song, poetry anthology of the Georgia Poetry Society. He is also a member of statewide poetry societies in Oklahoma and Alabama. He presents his poetry an average of twenty times a year to adult and youth audiences across the Southeastern United States.
When Dr. Robert L. Lynn learned that a dear friend had terminal cancer, he wrote poetry. Awaking at midnight, he penned “Cancer Is So Limited” to comfort his friend and millions of others around the world.
When Dr. Lynn’s poem was first published in the 1970s, it circulated from one individual to another, was reprinted in various publications and church bulletins, often anonymously, even without the author’s knowledge.
Born in Fox, Oklahoma, Dr. Lynn was president of Louisiana College when he wrote the poem. He was interim president of Oklahoma Baptist University, where he received his bachelor’s degree before earning graduate degrees from Columbia University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a 1973 Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Lynn and his wife, Bonnie (a 1973 Ph.D. and a 1969 master’s in higher education) noticed in a newspaper obituary an anonymous reprint of Lynn’s poem. An Internet search revealed 167 million hits in many languages! It was urgently time to claim ownership. With proper documentation, Lynn secured a copyright on his most famous poem. Cancer was the catalyst for his poetry,
CANCER IS SO LIMITED
By Robert L. Lynn
They’ve sentenced you with invisible cells that embed themselves deep in body recesses and multiply lymphatic assault on vital functions.
Can cancer conquer you? I doubt it, for the strengths I see in you have nothing to do with cells and blood and muscle.
For cancer is so limited—
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the spirit.
It cannot cancel Resurrection.
Can cancer conquer you? I doubt it, for the strengths I see in you have nothing to do with cells and blood and muscle.
ANOINTED TO SERVE - Miriam Jacob 
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