1“Birth”

She entered a world

so clean and bright

With women who carried

Food in their hands

And mothers who reached

With smiles on their faces

For their new children

She entered a world of warm blankets

And soft noises and kind words

Every move watched and guided

Every sound met a smile

With tiny toes and tiny noses

And she entered it screaming

And everyone listened

Everyone cared

Everyone told her that she

Would soon be alright

And she knew it was true

When she saw her mother’s face

As her sweat reflected the

Soft, white light.