Bryony Hart and Mark Richardson mark the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth (which is also International Day of the Nurse).
The Keeper of Fragile Threads
Dedicated to all the nurses and carers who hold their hands and do not let go
The candle light dances
As you bow your head close
To the dry lips of a man
Who holds on to life
By one fragile thread
It is taut
And you hear his whispers
Of life before
Of his girl
His babe
Warm in his arms
It vibrates
And memories flood
His mind
Of times when
Young
He ran wild through grass
Tripped on tree roots
Slipped from thick branches
Sliced flesh on stone
Hidden beneath the murky depths
The thread is wrapped
Around your heart
And you lean in
Closer
For him to dip further
To the time when
Just 17
He held her hand
In the shadows of pews
And prayers
Binding his soul to hers
Til death do us part
And when
Standing solemnly
Outside their chamber
Her violent screams chilled his bones
And he feared that
The dark hand would
Take them both
Mother and child
And he feels that dark hand now
Slipping into his calloused hand
Not with the warmth
Of youth or innocence
But with the sadness
And disappointment
That comes with war
Where man is fixated
On the annihilation
Of all things good
Of love
Of innocence
Of faith
Thousands of miles
Away from here
She swaddles her babe
And whispers a tune
That finds its away
Upon the thread
And through the
War destruction waste
To his side
To your voice
As you hear him take
His final few breaths
That are filled with
Remembrance of
Love innocence faith
Don’t let me go, he pleads
Until I’ve gone
And let her know
That I remember
You sing the tune
That comes to you
Without warning
And he sighs his last
With his hand in yours
BCH - 10th May 2020
MPR - 10th May 2020
oNce
It was just a name
that was Given out in
our History books
as parT of our
herItage.
Now, everything has
chanGed
And it’s
rightLy
celEbrated again!
MPR - 10th May 2020
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