A head a brain
Two legs two arms
Feet and toes
Hands and fingers
Mouth eyes nose
Present and normal
Alive and real
But there is something
Fluid just here
Round the abdomen
I'm not too clear
A second opinion
A third
It's not right
We don't know why
We'll do tests
No need to worry
Yet


"You are fearfully and wonderfully made"
I feel the wonder
I feel the fear
"I knitted you together in your mother's womb"
I see the knitting
But has the pattern gone wrong?
Can I forgive if you are distorted?
Can this be changed?
Can it be halted?
Safe in God's hands
I know he is watching
And knitting and making
And not forsaking
So I must have faith
And learn to rely
And you will be his
If you live or you fly

Everything changed today
Analogue to digital
Black and white to technicolour
Two dimensions to three
Grey cloud to rainbow
Normal to supernormal
With the tiniest movement
Of a miniature person
The whole world changed
Ava smiled.

Hello old friend
I've come to see
How time has fared
For you and me
From distant days
In white trilby
With metal cased
Laboratory

You've kept well I note
New cobbles, posts and signs
Adorn your ancient routes
Some familiar names I see
Comfortable but cool to me
Some names hollow or tired
Some refreshed and bright
French antiques have shut their door
And Kwiksave now a factory store
Butcher, baker ghostly corpses
Faced yes, but blank and still
Emma’s cookware welcome calm
A mess of pots bright and warm
Some old rogues still lurk
Catching breath ‘til evening
And time for more
half hearted cooking

There's money spent
It's the rural modern
I like and loath it all at once
Which isn't fair because
It is me that grew old
Uttoxeter changed
For better for worse
I mourn my youth
But glad still more
For remembrance sake

Suspended pause before,
Stop
Insular, still and calm
Wait
We breath carefully more
Listen
The mellow evening psalm
For
After night before
See
Princess beauty balm
Watch
With solemn awe
Before
God's almighty arm
Binds
Hearts young and raw
Within
His loving palm

Tomorrow flying closer fast
With panic air of freezing blast
The best laid plans
All late conceived now ripe
And tomorrow fruit in measure
As Godly fusion writ before
The congregation sings in praise
And two now one step from the door
A life to make, a marriage raise.

Oh that time would wait a while
That music pause and hold
So we might hear with lasting joy
The moment's glad unfold

A thousand dreams of quiet hope
Are graven now in this day's mind
The pattern crafted all the years
Has come today it's truth to find

An evidence of private smile
And public promise made
For all to see and God to know
Though all the world would fade

Doctor Thomas, Katy Smith
Take courage on the path you tread
Though this day passes through and on
Recall again love