The Precious Gift

I remember the day as if it were yesterday, The snowfall was heavy, we sat and watched it We hadn’t spoken for god knows how long Days would go by, me reading and she would knit But that day we were both in silence, watching, waiting, This was the only time we weren’t arguing, debating Then I solemnly rose and went out in the snow To rescue wood for the fire And there...in the snow...she lay What we could not have, longed for and desired I picked her up, she was shivering and moaning I placed her in my jacket and carried her While I listened to her heavenly groaning My wife who seemed spiritless came alive When she laid eyes on her And fussed “place her near the fire,” I watched my wife gently clean her, delighted from the faint murmur. It was half an hour when her little eyes open She was terrified to see us “Where is mum and dad?” She calmed as my wife continued her motherly fuss It was as if she belonged As if she was ours We gave her the gifts we bought for the one we could not have And watched her open then up, we could have watched her for hours. My wife brought out the huge turkey We had the best Christmas feast And finished with double helpings Of six different ice cream, a special treat. Then... the knock on the door I answered it, the police with an old woman and man “We looking for a little girl, her parents were killed in an accident And she was in the car when it was hit by a van Our angel came to the door, Then ran out and hugged her grand parents We kissed her good bye And gave her all the presents It was a year since we saw her, We both sat in silence watching the snowfall Then a knock at the door which broke our trance And there she was with her grandparents, a lady now no longer small... **