Empty Arms
Every month, ovulating
Yearning, breathing in and out
In and out, breathing – inhaling
Exhaling, panting, gasping
Yearning, begging, pleading
Please, God, please!
Every month, echoing
The past months, the years
The tears adding up, rivers
Of yearning, hopes shattered
Moons coming and going,
Hearts breaking, interrupting
The prayers for a small cry,
Every month, praying, praying
Imploring God for a child
Little eyes, small fingers, toes
To count and kiss, breathing
In and out, the prayers,
Beseeching, entreating, praying
Every month, the blood
Drenching soft linens,
Soaking like tears, softly falling
Quenching the dreams
The echoing of prayers, yearning
Hope doused, darkness all around
Optimism fading into the shadows
Every month, a heart swells with hope
Then breaks, crushed by the weight
Of silence in the nursery,
Emptiness in the arms who long
To hold a baby, a little one, a light of life!
July 4, 2022
Copyright ©
Regina Mcintosh
|