Lullaby (for Avery)

Now you find your place in our blue world
Bring all your senses to the task of observing.
Be quiet now and listen to the sea
Be still and let your ties fall open.

You come from the place where there are no colours.
Your sea was not dancing with bursts of jade and aqua
Yours was a night sea, all sound. It rocked you and stilled your cries.
You learned to listen before you ever learned to see.

From the start, from your first violent moments
when you were lifted into the glare of surgical light
the cords held you. The first one tightened around your throat
to stifle your voice, to silence life itself.

A second cord bound your tongue.
Another cut, another intrusion.
And we wonder why you cry.

Let me take you from this harsh hard place.
I will wrap you in cool salt air and filtered light
I will fill your eyes with sea winds
and fill your ears with bird cries.

Yes, you have washed into a world of violent acts
and I cannot promise that it will not hurt you
and I cannot guarantee you will be safe forever
and you will have other reasons to cry

but for now
Be calm as these green pacific waters
- This can be your lullaby