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I Gave Birth to a Star
To Baby C
by Diane Dehler
 
I gave birth   tonight   to a star,
Alone   unattended   only me
On   a dark wooded   path.
A path that was lonely   and no
Other hands but mine, to reach
Between my legs and grasp   my
Newborn child   a star that flashed
Away into streaks   of light.
 
I cried as all new mothers cry
And more   because I scarcely
Touched it   never suckled it
Never crooned to my star.
I thrust my hands   angrily into
The face of the sky   protesting.
 
What am I left for my pain
And my waiting, my burden of
Expectations weighing me down
Expectation growing   becoming
Swollen as firm and hard as my
Breasts   promising I too would
Be born in the season   of birth.
 
I sat on the dark path raining
Hard   bitter tears   on the
Ground.   Later the dim light
Of my heart led me home.
 
I had a child once   I would
Later say   my child was
A star   that burst into light,
Became a white image burning
Across the face of the sky.
Oh yes   women   would answer
A star   aren’t they all?
 
 
You don’t understand   I implored
One long ago night I gave birth
To a star   with no midwife to
Comfort me   cool my burning brow.
I had only a dark path   a cool moon
And my love  to welcome my dying
Child  a star.


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