Life Support Poem by Tomi Adenekan

The room was large
Too large for one person
The bed was small in the middle of the
Magic-making machines that surround it
In the bed he lay, smaller than I remember
I hope they make magic today
I thought
Staring at the green ziggy-zaggy lines
chasing along the screen
not to be caught by the ones coming behind.
Green is good. Green is my favourite colour.
The green man makes it okay to cross.
Green is safe.
Eat your green, mama said.
Green is health. Green is life.
I'm brought round by the clock above the bed
Tick-tocking in rhythm to the
up, down, movement of his chest
As, underneath the thin white sheet his heart danced a valiant jig.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick, tock.
I paused and held my breath then slowly let go
Until my own breath is synchronised
They moved together in steady rhythm
and I knew, then, that as long as I keep breathing
He will keep breathing
Tick, tock, In, out......