The Saturday morning phone

 should not be put to such use.

Your news now mine

to put across,

to drive,

to put them in the picture,

end their sick and grey

uncertainty.

Bright youthful face

wide-eyed

with disbelief.

Pale with faint refusal to just

comprehend.

His wife calm, solid, assured.

For her son?

Or had she long since marked

this spot?

In any event

I was relieved,

but broke a tail light

backing out,

and driving back

the colour leached

from that

dull Saturday.