Just one nod

they took me dad
the bastards
took him slowly away
descending mechanically
into memory
into fire

i would have stopped them

me dad always came to me
now he goes from me
without a signal
to stop the evil kidnap
i would have stopped them
with a nod

just one nod
from me dad
just a single nod
a subtle eyebrow twitch
and i would have leapt from me seat
to his side
fending off his captors

the leader first
a sideways flick
of knuckle into skull
a crack for him
a thud for the other
who would be readied
as would i
to block his blow
and stop his capture of me dad
with a thud
frontal face
knees buckling
crumpling on the floor

and i would secure the last-second rescue
a wedge in the cogs
the ropes cut
the lever pulled back
the bomb defused
the tragedy cancelled
me dad lifted out of coffin
back to me

but instead
i shook their hands
the bastards in black
and i thanked them
for taking me dad away

lucky
bloody lucky
for them
i never got the nod

————————–
Written by Andrew Jones
Dec 3 2004
Queenlsand, Australia
on the sad occasion of his father’s funeral on Dec 1. 2004