Having changed his nappy
I attempted to pick my son from the bed
when I heard the click in my back
and felt the searing pain.
I laid him down gently
lay down beside him, motionless, unable to move.
We remained like that; babies side by side
until I felt movement beside me
and he sat up
then crawled from the bed
then stood for the first time
then walked from the room.
I heard furniture legs scaping in the kitchen
I heard the clatter of utensil on pan
he returned with a tray
and he fed me grey mush
with a plastic spoon from an ABC bowl
played airplanes entering the hanger
wiped my chin with a cloth he had spat on
smiled and coo'd.
Took away the tray
made more clattering noises before
turning on the dishwasher
while humming 'piggy on the railway'.
I heard bathroom noises
and a lavatory flush
then the clat clat clat of the nodding dog
being taken for a walk accross linoleum.
Returning to the room freshly powdered
climbing onto the bed
looking down into my eyes
He then said:
If that is what grown up is Daddy
I'm in no great hurry to get there too fast
so don't you push me too hard and get better
And bend your knees when lifting me up.
I replied;
If this is what growing old is like
I'm in no great hurry to get there too fast
So don't push me too hard and I'll get better
At bending my knees when you are here
He lay down silently beside me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi4Hv7iqZCM
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