08 25 2000

at the birth of her eldest

Maman screams so loudly

she scares the sky

it trembles—

thunder explodes

from knocking knees

and stars slip

startled from heaven

as her daughter slips

from between her legs

At Mercy Hospital Maman wears her mother’s black leather watch

where the clock sits on the soft inside of her wrist

She looks at it often—

she doesn’t have the time to be in labor for more than 2 hours

balls of fire

rain down

explode

into the hard earth

like impotent fireworks

that never left the ground

fragments of azure,

emerald, vermillion

lodge themselves

in her baby’s black back

Beni swa Letènel!

It’s quick, over in just 2 pushes

Maman’s black baby is jaundiced premature and loud Maman is quiet— not crying Papa sheds enough tears for the both of them.