In honor of caring women everywhere: a Mother’s Day, every-day poem…

 

Many a womb has brought about

a life both wanted and received —

a life begotten out of love

and raised in blessed cherishing

Many a womb has borne to full

a child whole in limb and form —

a child ignored, rejected, crushed

by worth dismissed, appearance scorned

Many a womb has ached to house

a child’s live and beating heart —

a child who comes but cannot stay

so that the womb cries: hollow, hurt

Many a womb has never grown

any sort of seed at all —

no seed to enter sacred space

within the garden’s secret wall

But many arms have held and rocked

and many hands have nursed fresh wounds

and many eyes have unearthed beauty

and many voices have hummed and soothed

And so, today, no matter what

the state of her womb may have been

I say to each heart that has mothered,

“Thank you for the love you’ve shown.”

 

~Kaylene Powell (May 13, 2018)