reeds on the water

reeds on the water


i woke up this morning
messy still with childbirth
i knew i had to do this
so i wrapped myself in dress
as best i could
i gathered grass and reed
and any kind of weed
that would lend itself
i
braided them all together
with candle wax
we will make do with less light at night
and blood from my finger tips
god damn tears
would not stop
so i asked that the salt would bless him
it did
he was found
by none other than
the princess
and she in her god forsaken barreness
saw exactly
what i saw
here is a prince
straight from the gods
my child
dropped
from hevean.

thank you
allah
however
other mothers were watching that day
watched me at the water
they knew
every strand i braided
was a mix of
blood and wax
and any swaddling scrap i could find
and grass and reed.
if it would float
should they whistle
or some other form of message
then maybe wait.
they want to know
is the reed wrapped child
safe

if so
can a whistle
remind him who he is.
there is plenty of grass and weed
there is a way to make wax
and we will never run out of blood
not this side of jehovah
and we are
quite willing
to wait by the edge of the water
and call our princes
home
i can not help but ask
when my son is so adorned and safe
where is my daughter?