Museum Piece
Heart drums under heart
Limbs hung feet flutterkick lungs
The head gentles
O archetype of birthing
woman Vesuvian
still under ash Millenniums squat Crowning
tongue the universal wet of down.
Midwives bide patient as a midwives
The head springs
enters air enters air enters air
After the birth perpetual
there is no more ordinary
fingers tangled in hair
lolling
a born baby
painted maple, cord a scared white snake pulsing
that first sight my face / a mother’s face