ONE CHILD TWO CHILD WAILING AND WILD Poem by Ali Eckermann

Urgent darkness hunts us south, while my stomach churns with childbirth
He waits.

Foetal juices of blood and life baptise this child from my womb
He waits.

I wash my child with sand of red, avoid newborn eyes of trust
He waits.

A feeble cry escapes the grave. I watch it enter Heaven
He waits.

red band black man
husband and father
gently holds our toddler daughter
he has watched mine
now I watch his back
survival dictates our nomadic trek

We walk silent strong in single file fashion, stumble our way to the mission
He waits.

I bite and kick and scratch and scream "Don't take this child from me!"
He waits.

We sit broken together.
Darkness waits.