Travelling into the foothills
near the Lakeview graves within
sight of Lake Bonneville and
With the gulls of the Shoreline,
we spot the empty lot and
scattered bricks overlooking the Valley,
And sitting there stilled by the silence
of the missing red brick walls–
which hold the stories of the children
Of the Intermountain West-
who had the diseases of youth,
and their families who hold
The secrets that only parents keep
and store and share
for others who are to hear them,
And the walls which recall and reflect and deflect
the cries of those who are held for a spinal tap
or who can tell by the eyes of the resident
That another line must be placed or
who need another cutdown, another blood gas,
or whatever….they don’t want…(but need)
Or the words “I am afraid he has leukemia…
Down syndrome…a brain tumor…kidney failure…
she needs the heart surgery…the tumor removed…
We won’t be able to do anymore for her…or
Doctor, are you sure…Doctor, aren’t there any other medicines…
or does she need to go through another course of chemo…
Another shunt replacement…another tube…
is there any hope…isn’t there any hope’’
Or the words “she is gone…or
This is what we call SIDS”, or
“he did well with the surgery, or
most babies with this make it through…or
We have medicines for this…or…”
and the calls for help
and the replies for help.
Red brick and walls shelter and store
these calls, cries, replies, words,
moments in the lives and loves of parents
And children and doctors and nurses
connecting and sharing, not connecting,
responding, not responding, separated, together
And now the walls are gone from this place,
bricks scattered on the ground-
soon to be the place for the town houses of the north Avenues-
–we gather up three bricks from the site
and take them to the New Hospital and place
them in the walls where the cries and words
Can connect, as they are not scattered
and will not be forgotten for they are
ever present in the walls of the hearts of the parents.
The site is ready now,
overlooking the Valley, the view of Bonneville Lake,
ready to accept this other side
The town houses,
and the
rest of the city….
