Twenty-four hours not sleeping Ambulance raced, filled with strangers When once we dreamed of green meadows, Now we ride down an ice ramp. The hill is steep and was not seen approaching Our cabin lost in the snowstorm You, the emerged baby bird not yet thriving Your cherub face quiet, eyes still closed Surrounded by an array of singing engineering Dancing doctors bother your body As Papa scrutinizes what they pursue And Mama is miles away recovering A mountain goat teeters above the path he’s choosing While others imagine him falling My eyes flood before first sleeping This hurt immersed, the world not acknowledging How doesn't everyone know this happened? Praying to a never-met deity in a hospital chapel Asking for help with waking and breathing Wondering if I’m doing it right, And if praying first for others might be helpful Neurologist ghouls practice soul crushing Possessed by the worry of raising our hopes Their dragon eyes read MRIs Heads shaking quietly in examination Afraid to discuss results with us, As if we had auditioned poorly Voicing the never-wills of a ten-day-old Weeks and months of cafeteria eating That sweet cashier with the mindful way Lets us pay like employees ‘Cause she knows how long we’ve been sledding The snow is cold, the hill is endless, The ice forever frozen While in the cabin lie sleeping dragons Simple dreams of tasting birthday cakes, Crafting Legos and waving at puppies Meeting your first girlfriends And bicycle rides together Star Wars and beating you at video games Replaced now with a more basic focus And complex wishes for simple functions Breaking down watching a toddler be scolded Wanting to grab the fortunate father And tell him to just enjoy his son Finally understanding the gift we’ve been given That love can eclipse the fear and worry Each small gain an immense triumph And nothing is assumed when so little is granted Your movements sparse, and no smile yet Not sure how well your eyes can see us Your processes still under construction But we still feel your contentment, As Papa sings you to sleep each night And your eyes light up when Mama calls Out to you when she gets home I watch you sleep and fill my heart Knowing the dragons can't hurt us They no longer sleep in our cabin shelter And their shaking heads breathe no more fire Their forked-tongue prognosis is tempered When armed with hope and love Our sled built stronger each day with you
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