Especially for Elio
Published
Topic
People
(also for his Mum and Dad)
born 3 June 2023)
(my mother groaned, my father wept;
into the dangerous world I leapt… (Blake)
Into the new
through blood, and excrement, and torn flesh;
What an arrival!
Tenderly, we washed you clean;
Then welcome, tiny pink curled person
Perfect: ten fingers and ten toes
All that you need to be.
We will not tell you yet
How we have polluted your world
and are fast destroying it
over-heating, mercilessly killing —
no, we will wait —
till your legs grow straight
and your eyes grow clear.
First — we will teach you how to laugh
watching a grasshopper spring
feeling the warm wind blow through your hair
seeing the foamy waves curl up the sand
to tickle you toes;
and how to enjoy eating all kinds of food:
juicy nectarines
or satisfying Dutch stamppot.
As you unfold and spread you wings
you’ll start to understand why you can’t fly…
Instead, we’ll show you
how to love