Child

You call her name

She turns,

And laughs.

The most beautiful thing

In the history,

Of God’s alleged kingdom.

She has no concept

Of cancer or disease,

She has no idea

Of warfare or starvation.

You want to protect her

For eternity,

But know that you can’t.

For one day

She’ll move on

Her own life ahead,

With a phone call

On a wet Sunday,

Or a text

Now and then,

To you,

Her bald ageing dad

Nearing his end,

Whose only interest

Is the football, or

A mid week bet.

She’ll be telling you this

Explaining away that,

Unaware of the happiness

She triggered in you,

Unaware of the inspiration

That made you want to live…

You want to take the memory

Of her smile,

With you when you die.