October eight, nineteen eighty six
A Wednesday, much like any other
Except on this particular day
On his birthday, I thought of my brother.
He was late, he had been for sixteen years
And I’d missed him each single day
At midnight that night, on his birthday
I too almost passed away.

Out of the blue the pain came
My head exploded it seemed
And the sweat poured out like a river
As my brain went to shut-down, I screamed.
There was a surgeon and there was a doctor
Between them they saved my life
The haemorrhage I’d had tried to kill me
But I was saved by them, and my wife.

And my children, so wondrous and loving
They read to me and helped every day
They played cards to help me remember
How to count once again, and to play.

It was a long haul home, but I made it
Past some oddments that bothered me most
Like moving one foot with the other
And a funny strange thing they called toast.

But I’m grateful, and lucky, for I am alive
And I’ve friends who have helped on the way
So whenever the curtains draw back at the dawn
I’m thankful and grateful for every new day.

©Joe Wilson – Grateful, every single day…2015

This was a very personal journey.