there’s a child growing
in me
she moves and kicks
knows my voice - loves its music -
listens to my heart, beneath which
she thrives - loves its rhythms -
urges me to eat hearty
- loves the food I eat -
makes me dance
- loses control when I cut loose -

I remember!
she is the joy I once had
before birth into this spoof
this
virtual reality
this
emotional chaos

there’s a child growing
in me
she will be borne
not born
she is me
my Soul returned
from an exile
too long endured
mourned for
missed
longed for
returned at last from neverland
no longer
a sacrifice to a life unlived


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater