"Sliding down a rainbow
Bouncing on a cloud
Two little angels
Laughing out loud."
The little girl laughed. Bo was a fun guy. They called him Bo-Jangles around the hospital. A few hours there and you knew why, I stopped at the door and listened.
"Did you ever kiss a grasshopper
And let him tickle your lips
Or throw a rock across the water
And count the times it skips?"
She giggled. "Bo, have you ever seen an angel? What do they look like?"
And eyes shiny blue
Ten tiny toes
Just like you."
She was asleep. I made sure Bo didn't see me. The sounds of the stainless food trays and hospital noises settled into a hushed summer evening. From my bed I could see the little girl's mother maintaining her vigil that had left her drained. Bo sat at her side. His duties as janitor took him through the day but this was his time and this was how he spent it. I watched him carrying soda and coffee and chatting with people in the waiting room.
The angels came quietly that evening. The little girl's mom, her head on Bo's shoulder, sobbed softly. I heard the doctor tell the night nurse, "At a time like this, one Bo is worth all the doctors in the world."
I passed Bo in the hallway next morning on my way to check out. He was busy mopping.
"OK, young fellow, get out there and straighten up this ol' world."
"See you around, Bo."
"Sliding down a rainbow."
"What was that, sir?" the nurse asked as I was checking out.
"Oh, nothing. Just a little poem I'll never forget."