I. “Are they broken?” she asks as they hand us our daughter “No” is all they answer and we celebrate our first child
As they hand us our daughter we wonder about her legs and we celebrate our first child the soles of her feet resting comfortably against her butt
We wonder about her legs when the doctor visits us a day later and asks if we noticed the soles of her feet resting comfortably against her butt and her trials begin
When the doctor visits us a day later and asks if we noticed we learn she’ll need casts, braces, possibly surgery and her trials begin with plans to go to a specialist
We learn she’ll need casts, braces, possibly surgery and she turns red from crying while he stretches her legs with plans to go to go to a specialist every Monday for new casts
And she turns red from crying while he stretches her legs held in pain by plaster half way up your thigh every Monday for new casts every week a new pain
Held in pain by plaster half way up your thigh you see me through teary eyes and ask why every week a new pain and I can’t explain it to you
You see me through teary eyes and ask why as you take your cherry Tylenol and I can’t explain it to you as you fall asleep exhausted from crying
As you take your cherry Tylenol I wonder how many more weeks I have to put you through this as you fall asleep exhausted from crying how much can your little body take?
II.
Tom, the caster, pulls you towards him yanking the plastic wrap he cuts the plaster with a scissors your legs are free
Yanking the plastic wrap you must wonder if your legs are free? will the pain start over again?
You must wonder if we love you, bringing you here every week will the pain start over again? will it keep me from sleeping again tonight?
We love you, bringing you here every week hoping you remember none of it will it keep me from sleeping again tonight imagining you never forget this?
Hoping you remember none of it we focus on the good imagining you never forget this does us no good
We focus on the good as you smile and kick your legs does us no good to think of what might be
As you smile and kick your legs we cry for you to think of what might be when this is all done
We cry for you as the doctor returns when this is all done your legs will hurt again
As the doctor returns your legs are stretched your legs will hurt again at least until next Monday
III.
I look into your face trying to provide comfort understanding your pain but not knowing it
Trying to provide comfort your lips pucker and quiver understanding your pain already knowing it is part of life
Your lips pucker and quiver holding in a scream already knowing it is part of life and I wish you’d learned another way
Holding in a scream your faded blue eyes fill up with tears and I wish you’d learned another way that life is good luck and bad luck
Your faded blue eyes fill up with pain and your lashes clump and are beautiful that life is good luck and bad luck makes me wallow in my futility
And your lashes clump and are beautiful making me smile even in your pain make me wallow in my futility wondering if you need me
Making me smile even in your pain I realize your strength and courage wondering if you need me wondering when it will stop
I realize your strength and courage knowing you can make it through wondering when it will stop and I know you do too
Knowing you can make it through I hold you to my neck and I know you do too as each arm wraps around me
