Monday, October 17, 2011

For the early birds...

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
 from Sean Simpson  
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

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