With Woman, With Family

Her man snores softly
on the other side
of her cozy bed,
smooth sheets twisting around his legs,
the toddler a bridge
between their shoulder blades.

Blue light from the bathroom
illuminates the numbers of the clock
when the phone jangles.
She answers cheerily.
They think she was awake anyway.
She wasn’t.

She rises quickly,
splashes the sleep from her eyes,
brushes peppermint into her teeth, and
dresses in carefully folded clothes
that have been waiting patiently
on her rocking chair
for a week or so.

She loads boxes and bags
in her car
and drives into the silent night
sighing a prayer of supplication
for all to go well.

She tiptoes
into another’s home,
another’s space
whispering a hello
to the family dog,
who greets her with a wagging tail.

She hears the moans
and sighs
of the work of bringing forth --
the effort of releasing.

She holds space
and peace
and bears witness
while time warps
like melting glass

She counts galloping beats
inside a gravid womb
brushes damp hair from a sweaty brow
offers a drink of juice
and a word of encouragement

a rush of water
pain
joy
urgency
love
LIFE

As the family rejoices
tears track down her cheeks.
The miracle never wanes.

She cleans the sheets,
the floor,
the bathroom.

She reassures the new mama,
assists the babe
in his quest
for his mother’s warm milk.

She feeds the family
a celebratory feast
of crackers,
and fruit,
and the soup that grandma made,
which smells like comfort and love.

She smiles broadly
as the older children
stumble in the room
like sleepy puppies,
wonder highlighting their faces.

She explores a fresh newborn
head to toe
and with a kiss
on the baby’s head,
inhales his scent
like sweet hay.

She tucks the new family in
And murmurs goodnight

She loads boxes and bags
in her car
and drives into the silent night
sighing a prayer of thanks
that all went well.

She tiptoes
into her home,
into her space
whispering a hello
to the family dog
who greets her with a wagging tail.

She treads silently up the stairs
where the cool side of the bed
waits
She lays down.

Her man snores softly
on the other side of
her cozy bed,
smooth sheets twisting around his legs,
the toddler a bridge
between their shoulder blades.