I heard your heartbeat, before you came,

I sat with mother and chose your name,

I held you tender, when you first breathed air,

When you were born son, I was there,

I watched them bathe you, and slap your small behind,

Then I held you gentle in these arms of mine,

I watched the first steps that you ever made,

I’ve been with you son, cradle through to the grave,

I was right there beside you, when you started school,

I held your small hand, reasuring you,

As the years trickled by us, I was watching you grow,

And with some trepidation, watched your wild side show,

Not evil or meanness, but adventurous I guess,

With an adreneline rush, that you couldn’t repress,

But I stayed right beside you, every step of the way,

I’ve been with you son, cradle through to the grave,

I remember the first bike that you begged me to buy,

You’d be really careful, you swore on your life,

A month after I bought it, you were trying out stunts,

Seduced by the crowds, that were watching you jump,

One car, then two cars, but it wasn’t enough,

By the end of that year you were jumping a bus,

And I was always there with you, on every jump that you made,

I’ve been with you son, cradle through to the grave,

I was there when your tyre burst as you came off the ramp,

I was there as into the tarmac you slammed,

I was there at the hospital as you fought for your life,

Praying to God that he’d let you survive,

When he did I was grateful, and thought that was the end,

But in less than six months you was jumping again,

Your dear mother left me, wouldn’t let me explain,

Why I stayed with you son, as you raced to the grave,

It was so I could protect you, in the best way I could,

And try to pick up the pieces, when no-one else would,

So I helped you prepare for each dangerous deed,

Aware of the adrenaline fix that you need,

Each challenge was harder, each distance too long,

Until the jump at the  airport, where the stunt had gone wrong,

And you slammed into the tarmac as you had in the past,

But this time your bike had been going to fast,

And the height that you fell from was too far from the ground,

The cheers turned to silence, till there was hardly a sound,

Save the purr of the engine, and the whirl of the wheel,

As it spun in the air above that framework of steel,

That fell on your body and crushed you to death,

Once more I held you, as you took your last breath,

And this time it was over, you could not be saved,

And I’d been with you son, cradle through to the grave,

Your mother still blames me, and maybe she’s right,

After all it was me, that bought your first bike,

Taught you to ride it, encouraged each choice you made,

And stood there beside you, cradle through to the grave,

By S.E.Ralph

8-4-2003