Thursday, July 16, 2020

Hearing it then for the first time

                                                                                     Attribution: Ernest F. / CC BY-SA
Image: That Poignant Moment (here)

The day dawned early
A day earlier it had all started
She complained of searing pain
Inexperienced I could only lament
Heard say around the abdomen

Seeing it then for the first time

Twisting and turning, grimacing
Heavens dropped from the sky
This has to be it, I sighed

I stepped on the gas
As fast as I could manage
In no time she was in good hands
Snugly between the sheets
Assurance all round
the doctor, the nurse
This was quite normal,
they said in unison
Intermittent pains through the night
She took it bravely
That I could see

I got back early the next morning
She had been rolled in
I made a request to be by her side
Garbed in the hospital attire
I held her hands and waited

Immobile, manacled more or less
She could still manage a smile
Dr. McCoy, eminent gynae
Kept repeating, ‘it’s ok, love
It’ll only take a minute, love
Hold  your breath, love
Push, yes, push, love
There you are!

A clattering of sounds followed
Scissors, stainless steel containers
Shuffles of feet
Movements of nurses
A slap on the butt
A shrill cry
Oh! such a wonderful sound

Hearing it then for the first time

What an accomplishment!
My loving wife, Shadah
My first-born, Adura a gift
A bundle of joy with blessings
from God, the Almighty

Brian at d'Verse: Poetics

4 comments:

  1. What a wonderfully poem, written to perfection.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A wonderful and precious experience Hank!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your experience comes across so fresh, I wondered if it was a recent birth, Hank. If so, congratulations! So amazing to be at the birth. I like the way you captured the ‘clattering of sounds’ in the lines:
    Scissors, stainless steel containers
    Shuffles of feet
    Movements of nurses
    A slap on the butt
    A shrill cry
    Oh! such a wonderful sound
    And I love the name you have given your first-born.

    ReplyDelete