On sharing the same birthday with my son
possessed by love
riveted by miracles
convulsing in the painful thrusting trust
of my woman’s body to release a child –
this work of delivering lasts beyond the 27 hours
it took to move him from my womb to my chest
parts of me were demolished & rebuilt
now I repeat this destruction to make room for more love
it is all a letting go that ignites hot tears in my eyes
my blurry sight can be frightening – yet there is no other way to love
it is a possession of phenomenal possessions
repetitions of undoing & extraordinary reconstructions I choose
these umbilical cords I tether to my heart
expand strengthen & stretch
we keep hold of each other
we do the birthing work together now
Today, we eat cake.
Celebrate each other. Give thanks. Make candle-blown wishes for dreams as big as a universe.
VANESSA SHIELDS, writer 