The Baby

Your tiny body fit snugly into the spaces between the cold wet grass.You were covered in an old white cloth.I smelled you before I even knew you were there.The old rotted stench had crawled up through my nose as I was walking by.I was just going to walk past the dirty bundle lying on the ground but curiosity got the best of me and I carefully moved closer as if approaching a ticking bomb.

I only saw your tiny fingers sprawled out on the ground next to you but that had been enough.The bile had already risen up to my throat. You had turned a shade of purple,your tiny toes were almost blue.You couldn't have been more than two months old but you lay there stiff with your thumb in your mouth.I remember because every part of me was hoping that you were just sleeping.Quickly I knelt down on the ground next to you, rushing to check your pulse but there was none.No shallow breathing, no faint thump, nothing..I tried to call for help but no words were coming out either so I just sat there staring at you.

At that moment a rain drop fell from the sky and landed on your head.Instinctively I picked you up from the ground and held you close to my chest wanting to protect you from the rain but when I looked up the sky was a clear blue.The “raindrop” had been one of my tears. I was outraged! How could the heavens not be weeping at a sight like this?Had this horror grown to be nothing? As I held you in my arms my only thought was to keep you safe.So I got up from the ground, pulled you tighter against my chest and started running.

The hospital had been just a few blocks away but when I got there I was already out of breathe.“Somebody help me!” I shouted but the receptionist just stared at me blankly trying to make sense of my sudden outburst.The nursing staff was quick to respond and in a matter of seconds they came running towards me with a stretcher.Unaware of the irrelevance of their actions they plucked your lifeless body from my arms and in quick, harsh movements started to check your pulse and shouting things I couldn't make sense of.Gradually their movements became less urgent and one by one their eyes were focused on me.Right then, staring at your hapless body, I knew all hope was lost.

“This is is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper”