Her Woes Poem by RIC BASTASA

the social welfare
officer carries
her bouncing baby
boy

the social welfare
officer says the boy
is healthy

the mother has
meningitis and
cannot support
the boy

he needs a lot
of milk
he is heavy and
he smiles a
lot and he
stares at his
mother
who has no
mind of her own
now

the social welfare
officer carries
the baby in her arms
and i am signing
the papers
attesting to the
mother's having
to give up the
boy for
welfare,

her sister from
Calape
has six kids
and her husband
is jobless

the boy stares
at her mother
who says
she is moving
to another place
to forget him

she was raped.
she got pregnant.

they are poor.
and she has to give
up the boy

the boy keeps
staring at her
mother.

their woes.

would you like
to carry the boy, sir?

he says.
No. he is definite.
No. His answer.