The 142nd Day
The first 141 days of 2012 were grey and oppressive As we sat in hospital rooms watching you Hovering between life and death Between heaven and earth The line between the two never felt more transparent We cried for you, prayed for you and implored God and doctors on your behalf We carried you to the different buildings And wards that held so much hope We said yes to every idea that might fix you When your legs no longer worked We carried you from bed to bathroom We brought you anything we could think of that would bring you joy When your arms no longer worked we fed you We followed your instructions You told us which colours to use in your pictures And where to move your game piece on the board When your eyesight failed you We read books and messages of hope to you And listened to you giggle as you heard the dialogue of your favourite movies Picturing the characters in your mind And finding joy In the darkness When you could no longer eat We fed you by tubes And felt the s