AIMS Journal, 2021, Vol 33, No 3
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By Danielle Gilmour
I’ve just had a baby.
Will you not remove your shoes?
Wash your feet?
This is holy ground.
Watch you doff your cap as you approach my throne,
Bow your head,
Lay palms where I tread.
Please speak in more reverent tones.
I am Lucy – honour the mother of mankind.
Here, I’ll show you what to do –
Kiss your fingers and touch your navel,
Light a thousand candles, cast me a circle,
Bring me offerings, keep my vigil.
Do you think I willed this baby into being?
The least you could do is pour a libation
For the blood I’ve spilt and that flows from me still.
Trace my sacred scars and name them a constellation.
I am Elastigirl – my heart and parts have stretched
Beyond recognition,
Even to myself.
I am Eos – where is my golden chariot as I bring you this pink new dawn?
And just moments before, I was Athena, roaring as I rode to war.
Where is my chapel among those raised
For each temple built in a body – cradled in pelvis or hidden by ribcage,
To hold our babies however long they stayed?
I am the Earth,
I am the Sun,
I am Wonder Woman.
I am my mother and yours who allowed us to breathe.
I’ve just had a baby.
Walk backwards as you leave.
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Author bio: Danielle, from South Gloucestershire, is a mother of three children, one dog and four chickens. She is a Peer Supporter for The Breastfeeding Network, a Volunteer for AIMS, and a poet and member of the Mum Poem Press. You can find more of her work on Instagram @mummy_juice_writes. |
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