Canto XVIII

February

The gestation is over

Both the mother and the baby are dead.

Only God knows how much I have fought.

Nights after nights of throwing up my tears

Days after days of overcoming my fears.

I have looked forward to nursing

Love

To seeing it grow up as a happy child

Naughty, wildcat jumping fences

Running feral.

I dreamt of times

It would have looked for comfort

And I would have bathed it with milk and red roses

Explained why the moon is nothing without the earth

and the earth is nothing without the moon.

I fail

I lost the battle on nurturing versus nature

Now, we are dead.

A mother fights for its creatures until her last breath

So did I.

Giving my last breath to try to resuscitate

this intense love that I so dearly treasured.

Love

I would have given up my life for.