Bad women who abort babies deprive Master of his property,
manman said one day with a grim smile that made me wonder what she meant.
Then the doktè mulata said abortion sometimes freed women from lèsklavaj
pa byoloji, enslavement by biology.
                                                   Neither Master
nor biology helps me raise a child, so I did it. If manman
was here, she'd smoothe my hair and sing something soothing to make my tears
feel welcome.
                    It's not your fault. I left left soon after learning I was
pregnant because I want to be nearer manman.  The day I let you
make me pregnant was weeks after I knew our relationship was doomed,
lèsklavaj  pa byoloji, emosyon, sikoloji. The day
of the D&C was cold but the nurse who prepped me was warm and said
I looked just like her tata  Anne. The D&C itself was awful.

Manman no longer sings to me, but her lap does hold my poor baby
and her hands do stroke its head as they did mine before trouble was born.
It is not the baby who is lost from the lineage of being
with its anguishes and comforts. I am. I have stepped outside the door.

moving to Submit

Sad poem, skillful and interesting.  I wonder why it has gathered no comments.

Thank you for reading and for your reactions, Rick. Tom

a difficult subject
caringly addressed


Stella

thanks, Stella. Tom

My ear started turning the language a bit more rustic, Tom.

she'd smooth my hair and sing sumpin-sumpin

No, I myself can hear that language here, but I am glad you're feeling the country, Maggie, and thank you for the suggestion. -Tom