She never heard him mewl
in the night.
She didn't hear rooks peck
tiles for grubs, or the
chirrup at dawn.
There were no smiles
at his first laugh, no gasps
at his first word.
She clapped and whooped
at his concert debut, where she felt
the timbre of a cymbal,
verve of vibes through her feet,
an explosion of light and fireworks
behind her eyes.