Having Children by Barbara Tanner Angell
A siren goes by,
the scream cuts through me
even though my child is home.
For a moment I think…
Where am I?
In the middle of the night
a cry, dreamed
or heard, a wave washes
over the body of my child.
I have let her drown
or fall. She has fallen
from a high balcony
and I have let it happen.
Negligence. I feel
as if I’m plummeting…
Oh let this be a dream.
I’ll be better next time.
I’ll watch, I’ll watch, I’ll watch. Art by Ben Shahn
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