Woman injured, perhaps a fall,
A fracas? Who knows –
Perhaps a brawl?
Over the phone the nurse tells all:
Neck injuries…
She’s in a collar:
I call Flying Doctors:
Eight thousand dollar.
I take notes: a punch to the mouth
And she fell;
Got a kicking to the head
And the belly as well
Her neck is tender
C2-3, where the cord is slender
She can feel, can move…
That doesn’t prove
We’ll mend her.
I take it all down, arrange the flight.
In afterthought,
I ought
Ask ‘Who? How?’ – at least:
It was a male. I called the police.
I take notes, recording in full
The news that’s not news,
That minds like mine
Refuse
To take it in at all
Nurse gives name:
Like a punch to my mouth
Then a kicking,
Shame like flame
To burn my aorta –
The name – that ordinary name –
Is the same
That we gave
Our newborn
Daughter.
howardgoldenberg 
You have again captured succintly a much too frequent situation. End brings it so close to us.
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It all fills me with horror, horror that abides
Humans make me sick
At times
Most often the opposite
Hjg
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Sadly, indeed, a routine call. Well put Howard and with that great punch at the end.
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Thank you HCG
It’s true of course
First the nurse calls and even as I record the details I recoil from them
It later that I learn the assailant Is male, doubtless her partner
THUD
And finally, the woman’s name , my daughter’s name
THUTHUD THUD
Too easy not to feel they are ALL our daughters
As in miller’s play: ” all my sons”
Sadly
HG
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