Heartbeat of a Hummingbird

Innocence on the sand, skinny arms, skinny legs

Impervious: Our super power,

cold, cold, the grasp of a grey North Sea waves

Attacked at a full speed tangle of gangly limbs

Synchronicity came and departed

Screams of long lost war cries 

as waves smash against our chests

And the salt water taste 

explodes into your mouth

Laughing, laughing 

always laughing

We laughed at nonsense

Raucous celebrations 

of laughing at laughter

Fart noises the pinnacle of our aspirations

Hide and seek sniggers behind the living room sofa

Like a shook up bottle of dandelion and burdock,

ready to burst forth with excitement,

at the unbearable anticipation of the final chase, 

to a block one two three finale,

and the game begins again.

Torch hidden down the side of the bed

In the gap where the mattress and the wall 

creates a secret place,

Ready, waiting, within grasp,

for the night time kiss on the head,

and then, ‘See you in the morning’ reprise.

Book under the blankets,

creak on the fourth step from the top,

bated breath, stopped breathing

finger poised on the switch 

Rattle of the loose handle

As your head breaks free from the blanket

like an emergency drill on a submarine

breaching the surface of the sea.

To still, be still: eyes impossibly tight shut

As a head peered round the ajar door

only to quietly close again.

Another escape celebrated 

wait for the creak

One elephant, two elephants, three elephants

Dive, dive, dive, at thirty elephants

To Jules Vern library book paper smell

the dull ochre glow of a fading battery

signal the previous nights sleep

in the subterranean world.

All now joyful carefree memories,

Cherished precious feelings

To be taken out and savoured

Carefully packaged and catalogued once more for

When the arthritic knee comes a calling.

For time it should be noted passes in the

Heartbeat of a hummingbird