Beneath luminous mountains runs the autobahn. It is just before dawn
and I am going along with my right hand on the steering wheel
and my left reached back to hold my daughter’s hand.
She is sitting still, staring through her dark window
looking out for the year ahead, thinking of what has just been,
thinking of what I don’t know.
The family car is quiet
we are in haste towards the morning,
and hundreds of miles from home.
My daughter’s fingers feel warm and soft in mine,
like flowers they are patient with love for me
and possess a tolerance exceptional to a daughter’s hands.
Sometimes her fingers stir, massing
their separate intelligence away into
lonely enquiries that leave me empty-handed, and ignorant.
And then her fingers come back to me, and they hold on.
The mountains are behind us now,
we are driving through an ash-coloured valley.
My daughter’s hand in mine
nothing being said only our fingers
playing out life in handfuls of our flesh and blood,
teasing out of the years to come
something like sense, a shared undertaking.
Sense and fellowship in hand-holding,
nothing being said,
everything in place.
STUFF HAPPENS 
Cubby
This is beautiful. 🙂
Alex Hickman
Thank you
Stins
Good news Al!
Ours is an assault course in spring wood inc zip! Come & try it ! HN Y Stina
Ann Jordan
Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year Alex and keep up your writing in 2019
Alex Hickman
Thanks Ann – hope all well with you and yours – let’s catch up soon
Tom Allison
Magical! Love it. Hear you had a good time Al.
Alex Hickman
Thanks big man
timmaltin
Some very lovely and clever and good bits in here about Pops’ hands 👍
Kind regards,
Tim Maltin Chief Executive
M A L T I N P R
88 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6AA
M +44 (0)7590 057 232 T +44 (0)20 7287 2575
http://www.maltinpr.com
Ranked in Chambers and Partners Litigation Support 2018
Maltin PR Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales number 7427503. Registered office: 88 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AA.