Late night crossing the narrow passage
A warning light flashes
“severe side winds”
My hands on the wheel, I wonder
How many other travelers in the dark
Upon their way to the hospital
where their child is tied up
with hoses and cords
Read those words and felt once again
The harrowing reality
Of life’s fragility?
Severe side winds,
Brace for the brief distance
In the borrowed room
With monitors and nurses making rounds
Everything glows and beeps
With warning or relief
Severe side winds
hold on and breathe little girl
With your balloons and dolls
Coloring books and cards
Reach out again for the hand
Of your mommy and daddy
and even your little brother
Hold on with prayers
hope for mercy and goodness
With the voice that calms the storm
And commands the wind
(Are you sleeping in the stern?)
For the rising of the sun
With healing on its wings