Special
The
careful unpacking of the car
Its
safety seat unclipped, unbuckled
Passed
gently in to waiting hands
Its
cossetted cargo
Wrapped
up warmly against any chill
Cocooned
in blankets
Tissue-paper
protection
For
this long-dreamed-of new life
Fragile,
precious
The
son and heir
The
only one
The
oft-practised transfer
Into
the bumpered baby-buggy
Strapped
and restrained
Armoured
against a hostile world
Robust
and resilient
Protection
against a reality
Of
bangs and cuts and scrapes
Or
cold and unseen germs
Screened
and sheltered
Lest
any danger should penetrate
Multi-layered
defences
And
give the slightest cause
For
any concern
Fiercely
treasured
Special
beyond measure
An
antiseptic existence
Preserved
in layers of cotton-wool
This
first, their only child
Kept
from all possible harm
And
dangers of the world
Loved
and feared in equal measure
By
his doting parents
Who
will do anything
To
ensure his survival
No comments:
Post a Comment