Dom's Best

Son

While I stood by the bloody bed,
She cried out lonely as a wolf.
I put my hand behind her head.
She was lonely and herself.
A midwife with a witchlike face
Hissed in her ear, 'Push, ducky, push,'
Till from his warm and wanted place
My son came through the burning bush.

Sticky with blood and yellow slime,
He was held  up, his back was slapped
Like a drunk's at closing time.
When insecurely he had slipped,
Trailed by a steamy sponge of filth
Into the floodlit theatre, I
Took him inside my arms and felt
How soon our children make us die.

He yelped for air. I took her hand,
But her face was smiled away.
A pride I couldn't understand
Swelled her breasts out like milk. The grey-
faced witchlike woman in her white
Was smiling also, so I knew
This was an old rite I was at
And was necessary to.

I had stood by the bloody bed.
She had cried lonely as a wolf.
I had put my hand behind her head.
She had been lonely and herself.
Now I was lonely and myself,
And standing by the lonely bed,
When he cried lonely as a wolf,
I put my hand behind his head.

-----Dom Moraes