Mother and Child

My mother said, what ails you now?
She pulled my eye and palmed my brow
Then checked my pulse and pondered why
So seldom ailments pass me by
I never saw the like of you
Misfortune clings like morning dew
It’s there and then it disappears
Again – it catches unawares
One day you’re running like the stag
Soon after, you’re as if in chains
You shuffle, cough, an ancient child
And then again you’re running wild
I am perplexed, as you must know
The doctor coughs and spits and blows
Consults his book and mutters low
An awful eejit, doesn’t know
So what am I to do with you
But let you go and let you grow
And put my trust in Providence
And say a prayer, what ails you goes.