Beth

Waves of invisible noise rise and sink As quick as your heartbeat, And as slow. Your beauty grows day by day, And I like to think that you know exactly who I am, And your smile for me, is not only wind. I also like to think that the concrete grip of your gecko hand Is gaining warmth and strength from me, In the same way as the liquid warmth of your mother. With every breath that you take A yellow light rises with the sun, And fades. A cloud of glass and artificial transparence Surrounds you, And a tube around your head, Like a Crown. You are winning, for the assistance diminishes slowly, but scientifically Sure. Their experienced hands hold you more than I, And their eyes look upon you with care, But mine see you, with love. A YEAR LATER TO THE DAY... You slept right through the festivities, we did not cut your cake, We ate savouries and meat, we drank sweet drinks, and we waited. Some of entered as strangers, and left the best of friends And one or two of us could not keep our big mouths closed. And still you slept, as if it were a year behind, Another place, and another time. …You were so much smaller then, in the fish bowl of life An audience of green gnomes pandered to your desires and whims And we watched and waited, and breathed with you, and for you And lights sang along with your heart. As you slept with mountain air and warmth keeping you safe While we tried to sleep. Things are so much different now, a lifetime down the line You have our smile, you have our thoughts, though now we do not always see them As in a forest of white and lamb soft warmth, surrounded by little creatures You dream on, without a care in your world, and ours. ( My Daughter Beth was born 6 weeks premature...this is to celebrate her life...she is now almost 25, and more beautiful today than ever before... )