A boy admitted 7th October 1748
When she dropped him
at the hospital
she tied a yellow ribbon
around his tiny wrist
with –
My name is Andrews
written in dark blue ink;
every letter an effort,
as if spelling out kinship
was more precious on cloth.
The strip, perhaps torn
from her special Sunday dress,
or a treasured fairing given
by her sweetheart,
was interleaved between
the pages of a large ledger…
Then they took him,
bathed him, swathed him
in uniform grey –
gave him a number –
and took his name away.
