AFTER THE PAIN

She sunk her nails into my flesh 
As her contractions increased 

Her groans like a sonnet 
Never sung before 
In excruciating pain 
Her voice released 

As I sat beside her hospital bed 
Trying to masked my fears 
Thinking of all that can go wrong
Inside my head
Her love she expressed with tears

As the minutes ticked 
To seconds of alarm 
The cocoon of water broke
I felt it coming as she handcuffed my arm
With an outburst of screams as before 
 
How I wished there was another way 
To bring our first born into the world 
But all I could do was hope and pray 
For a healthy baby boy or baby girl

Then with a deliberate push
She drained her lungs 
As her loud cry became a windless hush
Another voice was heard unknown to the world 
The beautiful sound 
Of our gorgeous baby girl.

Wilford Barker.