IN THE SHADOW OF SUNLIGHT
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IMAGE CREDIT - WALLPAPER CAVE
For Pick -A-Title, Vol 45-Poetry Contest. Sponsored By Edward Ibeh, Written on 6th August 2024.
A special thanks to Indiana Shaw who has created a song using my poem on You Tube.
Pete Kovacs was a cop based in Cyprus, a small mid-western town
Nothing much happened with regards to crime from sunup to sundown
But on the 4th of June a couple came in to report their daughter missing
They were visiting Cedar Lakes on a break, for a picnic and some fishing.
He sat them down to ask questions, her age, name and what she was wearing
It took them quite a while because they were both very distraught and crying
They told him that she was only seven years old and that her name was Sky
Then he went outside on the street to ask for volunteers from people passing by.
There was no shortage of volunteers, and they all headed for Cedar Lakes
Pete formed four search groups and vowed to search for as long as it takes
But he had some dark thoughts, he thought the girl might have drowned
Sending for a dive team was the last thing he'd do if she couldn't be found.
He gave each group a two-way radio and pointed to four areas on a map
Then gave clear instructions to each group so that they wouldn't overlap
The area around Cedar lakes was surrounded by a forest of dense trees
They set off on that hot afternoon, and off the lake blew a welcome breeze.
The minutes had now turned to hours and darkness replaced light
Pete had radioed a deputy in town to bring torches for the night
Then he studied the map to ensure that no area had been missed
And put a call out to the local army base for more people to assist.
An ambulance with a paramedic and doctor then arrived at the scene
Along with a large catering van from town and a mobile canteen
Pete called everyone back from the search for a rest and some food
Everyone looked quite exhausted and were in a very sombre mood.
Two large army vehicles then pulled up with about thirty men or so
Pete spoke to the senior officer in charge and told them where to go
The others now rested headed out to where they had searched before
Then a message came through that they’d found a toy on the forest floor.
Pete radioed the volunteers to concentrate on where the toy was found
They searched the area with a fine-tooth comb without making any sound
He thought she wouldn't be too far from her toy of that he had no doubt.
Sadly, they found nothing else of interest and they carried on further south.
He phoned the police department at Hastings to request a sniffer dog team
Fatigue was taking its toll on everyone; it was like living a nightmare-dream
He held off requesting a dive team but felt they might be needed before long
But something didn’t feel right, deep down he knew something was wrong.
Just before sunup he took a radio and went to where they’d found the toy
And remembered playing there with his friends when he was a young boy
Just off the main track behind some thick bushes was a six-foot drop
He wondered did Sky go through the bushes, slipped, and fell off the top.
The bushes had now grown quite thick from when he was a young boy
But he managed to squeeze through them and then heard a pitiful cry
Pete's feeling of foreboding now gave way to a feeling of euphoria
They wouldn’t have known about the ditch despite searching that area.
And there at the bottom of the ditch and lying motionless was Sky
When she saw Pete, her lip quivered, and then she started to cry
Pete said "It's okay you’re safe now, she smiled through her tears
Then he radioed in to report it, and he could hear the rousing cheers.
Everyone came to the scene and they brought her out on a stretcher
She had broken her leg and an arm, so they were gentle with her
Her parents were overjoyed, and her mom stood clutching her toy
Sky’s parents and many of the volunteers were now crying with joy.
They went straight over to the waiting ambulance and put Sky inside
Both her mom and dad climbed in with the doctor and sat by her side
Pete thanked everyone for their help and told Sky she was very brave
And in the shadow of sunlight, she gave him a big smile and a wave.
Copyright © Tom Cunningham | Year Posted 2024
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