Lucky Seven

Small, too small, too too new still. 

Cells still weird, still volatile. 

I stroke his head and lie, and smile.

Doctors mumble, numbering 

Plausible possible causes.

Set precautionary doses.

The M Word isn't mentioned.

Conspicuously not mentioned.

Terrifyingly un-mentioned. 

Not M not M not M not...

Our nerves in tight wound steel skeins

Suffocate our future beings.

Start, stop, listen, no, maybe?

Stop, start, listen, wait, wait and see.

Drive, park, feed the kids, bath x 3.

1 doctor, 2 doctor, 3

Doctor, 4. 5 doctor, 6 doc...

Here comes Seven on his watch.

Savvy Seven feels his tum.

Gives the order - prep for theatre.

I'd kiss him if it wasn't weird to.

Seven greens wheel him away 

"We'll look after him," they tell me.

I blurt "You'd better!" shamefully.

Tick-tick, tocks the Terror Clock.

Time freezes screams inside me.

Minutes stretch to infinity.

Tick, the planet spins around.

Four hundred and sixty metres 

Per second, as if to treat us

To a whole whirling, churning

Day of our terrors resounding.

Tick, the planet spins around us.

Savvy Seven walks among us,

Calm radiates from his halo.

Life stands still upon his say so.

Words drop indi-vidually.

Unin-telligibly. Please say...

Tell us... he's ok. 

Heaving salt-seas of relief

Spout like illiterate geysers.

We grapple like drowning sailors.

Brave boy, tough boy,. He's alive

And kicking now, playing rugby

For his college. All of twenty.

Seven and his seven greens

Were never seen again. Thank you.

We owe our lives to all of you.

Notes From The Nest

Let's get this straight. I don't mean to berate or to get you irate when I state - greatness Breaks from your face like a sun done shining on failure and pain, and is Blazing some trail to a future of your choice. Your choice. We two be two people who breathed all our vital, convivial, farcical, best and the worst of our fun and iniquities into you. (Larkin was larking compared to the two of us.) So know this, stow this, keep this close and throw this in the teeth of the dicks who would dis you. (And that includes me and you.) We treasure you solely and only for your own self. Hold yourself to no standard you don't set yourself. We expect nowt except you look after yourself. We once held the torch. It's been yours for a while now. Watch as it glimmers and glows, as it grows to a beacon of brilliance. A bright blazing light that signs your life 'cross the universe. Fed and fanned by your own hands, hued by fuel of your choosing, Lighting your way way longer than we two can linger, warmed by its radiance. A penis or happiness? Flimflam or candidness? Tickle or slapiness? You choose the routes to your own blues or jouissance. We 'rents just nudge now, not judge how, bring maps, cheese baps spilling pickle, hold powwows. We want you to know now, take note of this last bit: - We love you. - Love yourself. - Love the struggle. - Love life and the strife of living it.

Raging Pain

I wrap my pain about me like a shield, A shield repulsing friend and foe alike, Safety from the stain of needing succour, The corporal pain the lesser of its brother. Horizons shrink to sickening self pity And only that which falls within my grasp: A table near the bed with drugs upon it, A senseless, boilng, sentimental spirit. Kick me now I'm down, don't stop to pet me! Now I'm sick all nations are agin' me. In my prime you'd quake before my greatness! On these quaking legs... I'll make you fear me yet!!