I was in a department store
when my phone vibrated
I answered it
my wife’s voice came through
distant
thin
like the voice along the wire
between two tin cans
I don’t remember
why I was there or what I was
meant to buy
but I will never forget
what she said to me
I’m bleeding she said
I’m bleeding
at first I did not know
what she meant
had she cut herself cooking?
was she bleeding to death
from a slip of the knife
across the wrists?
I’m losing the baby
she said
and then I knew
I thought
perhaps if I could get her
to hospital
someone there
could perform a miracle
perhaps there is a pill
that will reverse this
and bring our dream back to life
perhaps there is this tap
at the back of her head
so they can turn off the flow
but the most they did
was tell her to lie down
and then they photographed her womb
and found an absence of life
her womb had become a grave
and my mind
for many days after
was a grave too
thinking of one I never knew
thinking of my wife also
as I should
and thinking of you again
over and over
on the train
everyday
behind my newspaper
balancing my cappuccino
and pulling out
the scan photo
of you
like a silver curve of moon
in the black and white sky
who just missed out
on coming right.
