North Star

10 voices sing together, huddled in the backseat

A choir filled with innocence and fragility, 

Too young, to be broken. 

“We’re lucky” they would later say

But all I felt was a heavy garment, put on my shoulder.

The car swerves, and I see the bark of the tree

A split second is all it took for the dent

Grey cloud smoke filled the chaotic silence

My finger crooked like a lightning bolt

My grandfather sits in the seat

Too shocked to move, frozen

Like a structure of white salt

Airbags, open like violent white lilies

To save the two youngest heads

I unload each one from the scrapped metal

A chain of trembling lips, and glassy wide eyes

They’re searching for a North Star, for me. 

I lead them across the charred tree

My shoes crunching against rocks and sand

Behind us, a skeleton of celebration

Only I know the way back home

When the map caught fire. 

I realise now, I’m not a kid

Playing tag in the garden anymore

My shadow is long and wide enough

For all nine of them to fit inside.