V prmture. Pray. Luv Samir. Oh God, dear God, I start But can’t go on Because why should I ask for help From someone whose fault it is? Sndng luv. R U at hosp? Im awke. Call? Then I wait, wondering How I can confess I haven’t prayed And hoping maybe he won’t ask My phone rings. Why are you up so late? Or did my text wake you? I was awake, couldn’t sleep Just thinking about everything Are you okay? Have you seen the baby? Just through a window here in NICU He’s tiny and red. Poor angel. I bite back tears Thinking of Gabriel. He’ll make it, I’m sure, I say They can do amazing things now. The doctors say it’s no one’s fault But Hala blames herself. Privately I think of God Mercilessly, capriciously deciding Who lives and who dies And when and how. But she did everything she could Vitamins, eating right, resting Do you want to come over I mean, just to sleep? I’ve said it without thinking And hope, kind of, that he’ll say no. No thanks. Tempting, but I can’t My parents are leaving in a few minutes He hangs up.
