the day i met my son

the lilies bloomed, the orange ones by the trellis, the ones i'd been waiting for and i cried, two days overdue with my second son

and i heard his whisper, the breath of One who told me to get a lily tattooed on my wrist because He cares for the flowers of the field, i heard him say, "soon"

and it began that night until the hours of the morning and the fetal heartbeat became infant skin and despite the ring of fire and the belief my life was over with the final push it was only beginning

i had no strength to look, could only hear the gasp and curdling cry and my body rested knowing it was good, he was good, this, with all of its pain, was good

and as fragile skin touched soft my lips, his eyes turned blue upon me... his fingers wrapping round and my garden, bursting full in bloom

(who knew, love could be so 'stretchy' as my friend worded it? how it multiplies... )

Kasher Jude, born July 25, 2011, 8 lbs, 14 oz

**thank you, for all of your congratulations and prayers... imperfect prose will be taking a hiatus this week, as you can well imagine :) i love you all so much...