We Cannot Sleep

It turned out to be such a happy day, everyone
content, Carine a courageous soldier fighting
against all thoughts of despair, Tiaan choosing
a hi-fi for his gift, fixing his room - Nici pleased
with warms socks and earrings, she made him
a condensed-milk lemon-meringue, organised
by Carine

Her dad made potato surprise with mushrooms,
bacon and cream - Heino playing on the radio -
the kids threatened to stone me to death if I ever
dared to compare him with Ramm Stein – both
Germans singing in deep contrabass voices but
I am not allowed to lump them together, it would
be sacrilege

I danced to the music in the kitchen, Carine said
she did not dance; I visualised her jumping for joy
once her leg is fixed and her neck brace is off; she
feels despondent when she cannot sleep – neither
can I – how can I curl up and float on dreams when
she is awake with a hurting knee – time is passing,
watching Wizards*

We laughed, watched cooking contests - tonight time
has come to a stand-still, no-one to talk to, no-one to
care that we cannot sleep until the pins in Carine’s
leg are removed…

* Wizards of Waverley Place – Disney Channel on TV