After I was born
the doctor
held me upside down
by my feet
but I still did not cry
the doctor smacked me.
But I did not cry
the doctor smacked me
a second time harder
but I still did not cry.
They were worried
because I would not take
a breath that first breath
of life needed to live.
The doctor smacked me
a third time very hard
and I did not stop
crying for six months.
Few babies are born
knowing life is over rated.
The maternity nurses
hated me I disturbed
their nightly card games
with my constant crying
loud constant crying
I was a hungry baby.
In those days experts
believed in feeding
all babies the same
amount of milk
regardless of weight
size in ignorance.
I was a hungry baby
I was hungry.
My constant crying
loud constant crying
should have been enough
to tell these experts that.
The head nurse called me
Crash Craddock she wanted
to crash my little head in
thus a legend was born.
In the duration of a few
hungry loud screaming
nights a legend was born.
Copyright © Terence George Craddock
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem