The Long Arm of the Law
“Jacobsen Syndrome caused by partial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 11”
(Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 2009)
They say it’s all in the eyes; not true.
Sometimes, it’s all about ears: set a shade too low, maybe?
Who knows?
I say as we examine our own.
Then glance again at each other, picture sisters
and brothers, the parents – the mother:
no — not the same -
and back to the newborn in the photo,
staring hard at something we can’t quite name.
The shape of the head, the face.
The word ‘syndrome’ forms
from outlines and contours of thoughts
we’re afraid to say.
Days tick by with telephone updates
of tricky feeding times;
the sickly baby with the constant cry.
Only then does it become all about the eyes,
when everyone stares hard at the doctor
as the long arm of a chromosome law
reaches out and touches us all.
Nowadays, it’s much more about eyes
as we watch her, age three, bossing her much taller brother;
telling him off; wagging a finger;
giggling as they fearlessly scramble the frame together
shooting hell for leather down the big-girl’s slide.