44 Days

Last thing he remembers he's drinking a beer
The bar's getting busy, the night is still young
He reckons he's earned it, he's worked hard all year
The beer hits the spot alright, chills on his tongue

Then there's screaming and smoke and a world all turned black
The blast knocks him unconscious on to the floor
But the pain when they lift him up brings him right back
Till the coma takes hold and his eyes close once more

For 44 days she sits quiet as stone
While her son fights a silent campaign of his own
She makes deals with God
She no longer dares doubt
Spare my boy
Let him out

First time that she sees him
She's glued to the spot
How could this blackened body be her darling lad
She can't believe anyone, youngster or not
Could ever recover from damage so bad

There's nothing you read of can tell of the pain
You give life to a child, they give back so much more
The icu nurses, they all know her name
As she waits for her son to come back from his war

For 44 days she sits quiet as stone
While her son fights a silent campaign of his own
She makes deals with God
She no longer dares doubt
Spare my boy
Let him out

On day 44 she is holding on tighter
To a hand that lies silent and cool by his side
His wounds have all healed
His hair's grown back lighter
But what of the battle still raging inside
She looks at the floor
Thinks she just cannot bear it
Then hears her name spoken
Looks up in surprise
A life's worth of joy stares right back at her there in
A pair of so beautiful wide awake eyes

For 44 days she sits quiet as stone
While her son fights a silent campaign of his own
She makes deals with God
She no longer dares doubt
Spare my boy
Let him out

But one of the mothers, the fathers, the sons
The daughters, the darlings, the dear ones and more
Whose loved ones stepped out one fine tropical evening
And never returned from their own silent war