Mary, I
Sitting, full as the moon
Holding this cousin-boy
Forerunner to my son
Days tick by as fast as a clock,
As slow as lake freezing
My husband in awe
Nervous sweat on he brow
Thickness in he throat
Each night I swell into him
Painful sleep
Baby say hello, thump, hello
----
A favorite Christmas memory is being 40 weeks pregnant with my first child during our family party, holding my 5 month old nephew most of the evening. I felt a strong connection to Mary, Christ's mother at that whole holiday. My baby waited til New Years Day to enter the world.
Some of my favorite poems are Lucille Clifton's Mary poems. I wrote this in tribute to her style of writing.
This is so wonderfully life-affirming, and Mary personifies selfless motherhood - not surprising your Christmas-time pregnancy elicited such empathy.
ReplyDeleteLoved this, beautiful slice of life.
ReplyDeleteThis really is a great picture of your life. There's just something special about feeling that baby move. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteWonderful Christmas memory! Thanks for sharing this glimpse of your life.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful..."sitting, full as the moon" I love that
ReplyDeleteOh those last lines, so, so familiar.
ReplyDeleteIt's not often enough that the well-built meets the heart-felt, and well looky here...
ReplyDelete