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.