Today has been set aside
to think of premature babies
and their incredibly strong parents.
Once you’ve opened that door...
... stepped into the world of
premature babies...
there’s no going back.
Your life will change
forever.
I don’t have the words,
so I’ve stolen them
who walked
through the premature door
in 2007 and wrote
this wonderful poem for us
so that we wouldn’t have to
say the words ourselves.
A Daddies Poem
Time stands still, the day has arrived
A baby born early, has he survived?
Emotions are torn, what should I do
Lost in a world that’s so new to you
The baby is rushed in to NICU care
Mum on a table, it doesn't seem fair
A mother and baby, two floors apart
Separated by distance, connected by heart
You stand on the outside as the scene flashes by
The team go to work, don't let him die
Tubes and machines keep him alive
You pray for a miracle, let him survive
The doctors they tell you, prepare for the worst
Your world tears apart your dreams are immersed
He is far too small, he has a battle ahead
You search for some hope in the eyes of the Ped
The day turns to night and the team goes away
A doctor and nurse are the only to stay
The clock goes so slowly yet the hours still pass
You try to reach out to that face behind the glass
Your life is the monitor you watch every beat
You watch every breath, you don't leave your seat
You don't leave his side he is your blood and your life
You would give your left arm and so would your wife.
A father’s pain is hard yet it only seems token
Compared to a Mums who lays battered and broken
Her dream has been robbed and so has her joy
Her only life’s wish is to hold her new boy
As night starts to deepen you to start to reflect
Your start to question what to expect
You try to reason you try to make sense
You feel joy yet your pain is intense
The longest night in history draws to a close
The day that stood still the day where time froze
The smallest human you have ever seen
So tough, so hard, courage unseen
Hours become days and days become weeks
Weeks become months, with falls and peaks
The road is long the journey is hard
The climb is tough your mind is scarred
But your family and friends are there, you’re not alone
You soldier on regardless as NICU becomes your home
Those brilliant doctors and staff are there on your ride
With those Angels of MERCY there at your side
How can one so little be so tough and brave
And defy all the odds that once looked so grave
A heart the size of the MCG in a body built so small
He took on every challenge and answered every call
Sometimes when he is sleeping I sit there at his side
And appreciate every second and watch him with such pride
Our boy came home, his battle was hard, the lucky we were among
Some Angels stay there forever, forever they are young
Sean Simpson 2007