Running for Rachel
While world-class athletes pounded clockwork miles
for more publicity and greater fame
from seconds saved that left no time for smiles,
Sam wore a silly hat that soon became
a weight he'd not expected it to be.
Jen waved her banner, “Hello Mum! It's me.”
Raw blisters made him wish he’d practised more
in flashy trainers bought two weeks before.
She fell on Tower Bridge and hurt her knee,
but laughed in case they’d caught it on TV.
Back to work next week in London rain,
while one pale child, Orlando-bound, dreamed dreams
of Mickey Mouse and having hair again
instead of nightmares and of sick kids' screams
one smiling couple on a crowded train
debated if next year four hours might seem
just possible without the added strain
of silly hat and “Hello Mum!” again.
And friends who’d thought them mad wished they could tell
the dreaming child that they had run as well.