twinning
you came into the world / wearing a bright red graze / on your left thumb.
the midwife told me it was a sucking sore / and my heart glowed, flushed
in deep mama-pink / at the thought of you / sucking that tiny, perfect thumb
as you grew inside me / so when I discovered my own mark, a bloom
of broken blood vessels across one eye / it seemed our bodies were whispering
shared truths / cradling the soft ache / of being separate / after so long joined.
the midwife said, gently, everyone can see just how hard you worked,
to finally meet this baby / and though I treasured her kindness / I didn’t need it
to taste joy in a moment / like summer’s plump berries, still sun-warm / when
we wore our small injuries / twinning for the first time / and bearing witness
to something ordinary, and breathtaking.
the midwife told me it was a sucking sore / and my heart glowed, flushed
in deep mama-pink / at the thought of you / sucking that tiny, perfect thumb
as you grew inside me / so when I discovered my own mark, a bloom
of broken blood vessels across one eye / it seemed our bodies were whispering
shared truths / cradling the soft ache / of being separate / after so long joined.
the midwife said, gently, everyone can see just how hard you worked,
to finally meet this baby / and though I treasured her kindness / I didn’t need it
to taste joy in a moment / like summer’s plump berries, still sun-warm / when
we wore our small injuries / twinning for the first time / and bearing witness
to something ordinary, and breathtaking.
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Karen BaumgartKaren Baumgart lives in Australia and adores beautiful quotes, pink things, cats, and chai tea. She loves working in human services policy, especially when it enables marginalized people to have a voice. Karen used to be an English teacher, and is quite certain that writing is, indeed, the best therapy.
Instagram // @miss.cake.girl Twitter // @cake_girl__ |