Carry a Child – 21st January 2026

How long do you carry a child?

9 months, 18 years, 27 lifetimes

Can you ever not hold them

Even when tired and grey

With arthritic hands

And bones that can no longer play

When they are 200 miles north

And unable to make the decisions

You know would make life easier

We will always be somebody’s child

It’s probably a gift to be oblivious

To the worry we cause

For who of us have not

Offered some form of stress

To those whom we love

But how they love us too

I would often get frustrated by interruptions when trying to work. I wish he would interrupt me again.

© John Monaghan 2026. All Rights Reserved