A baby blanket the size of
A grown woman’s
Bed—the grown woman
Lying in her god’s lap in
Pain

They go to the bathroom
Together one of those
Weird couples who go to
The bathroom together
Because

She cannot walk or stand on
Her own

Or sit or lie or do
Any other thing on
Her own when that
Pain comes to take
Its tax

Oh my god I’m in
Agony

The Great Destroyer we
Don’t believe in together has
Wrapped me skin and
Bone in thick veils of
Agony

Her god offers her a bit of
Cookie and promises her
This bit of cookie the
First food she’s eaten in
A day

Will be the pleasure of
A prayer

And not make her
Sick it’s a big promise—a
Promise only a great god
Has the heart to make
And keep

-M.
(Day 21 of my 66 Day Poetry Habit. Three weeks! Three weeks on a bit of a sad note, but three weeks nonetheless. I wasn’t going to write today. I thought I needed another P day, but I’m glad I sat down with my book and did it anyway. It’s always better to write than not to write. How often we need that reminder.)