Phone call
Out of the blue
Sister in law abroad
Screaming down phone
Reassuring her it’s all going to be ok.
Brother rushed to hospital
Cardiac arrest
In the sea
While training for channel swim
Dragged ashore on board
Laying on pebbles
Heart stopped
Fortunately
Doctor and two nurses
Nearby
Pumping heart
Back to life
While curious onlookers watched
Nonchalantly
While eating their sandwiches
Amongst the steely determination
To bring life back
Thrashing arms
Made it too unsafe
For rescue by helicopter
So by road instead

Hospital emergency
Heart stopped
Again
Brought back to life
Again
Induced coma
To recover
High alert
Family worried sick

But for me
Calmness
Awareness
A knowing
He’s not ready to go
Nurses confused by my
Lightness
Asking if I’m really ok.
Yes I’m ok
Because I know
It’s all going to be ok
My brother is not yet ready to give up

And sure enough
Defying all doctor’s expectations
Awakening early
From induced coma
Physically weak
Mentally strong as an ox
With no lasting damage
It’s a miracle they shout
When quite simply
He just wasn’t ready
It wasn’t his time