The first year I posted a poem about infertility. This year things are different.
First Birth
I had thought so little, really, of her,
inside me, all the time, not breathing–
intelligent, maybe curious,
her eyes closed. When the vagina opened,
slowly, from within, from the top, my eyes
rounded in shock and awe, it was like being
entered for the first time, but entered
from the inside, the child coming in
from the other world. Enormous, stately,
she was pressed through the channel, she turned, and rose,
they held her up by a very small ankle,
she dangled indigo and scarlet, and spread
her arms out in this world. Each thing
I did, then, I did for the first
time, touched the flesh of our flesh,
brought the tiny mouth to my breast,
she drew the avalanche of milk
down off the mountain, I felt as if
I was nothing, no one, I was everything to her, I was hers.
Sharon Olds. The Wellspring, 1996
For more information about the Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading, celebrated each year on February 2, go here.
That’s beautiful.
Thanks for sharing it.
That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
I hope you have a beautiful birth, Cara. It’s such an amazing and transformative experience.
OK, I can’t remember now if you said you were going to be surprised or not (raging headache vearing on migraine that I am trying to ignore) but, is there a reason that “her” is italicized?
Did you all find out? Should we be looking through our stash for pinks????
Either way, I am so happy for you and am praying for a wonderful childbirth experience.
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
A precious poem…would be lovely placed with a photo of, perhaps, G’s hand, your hand and baby’s hand in the circle of love.
So very lovely – and indeed, such a different place than that first year!
Beautiful.
Well, that is exactly right.
Happy Groundhog Day! My fiber arrived and I love it!
So beautiful, and so true. My daughter of 12 years still amazes me every day, and always, it seems like love created anew. Truly, I am hers as much as she is mine. I hope that is so for you and your baby as well.
Thanks for reminding me of the date. Funny how time changes the poem’s resonance!
What a beautiful poem.
That is lovely. And yes, it would be helpful if you know to let me know. 😉
So sweet Cara. Brought a tear to my eye…
Not-long-to-wait-now-even-if-it-seems-forever-blessings!
well, this made me cry. I struggled to have a baby for years….then I did. This poem is new to me, and one I will come back to. Thank you. And thank you for participating in this fine web of poetry we’ve spun.