I Gave Birth to a Star by Diane Dehler

I Gave Birth to a Star

         to baby C

I gave birth   tonight   to a star,

Alone   unattended   only me

On   a dark wooded   path.

A path that was lonely   and no

Other hands but mine, to reach

Between my legs and grasp   my

Newborn child   a star that flashed

away into streaks   of light.

I cried as all new mothers cry

And more   because I scarcely

Touched it   never suckled it

Never crooned to my star.

I thrust my hands   angrily into

The face of the sky   protesting.

What am I left for my pain

And my waiting,  my burden of

Expectations weighing me down

Expectation growing   becoming

Swollen as firm and hard as my

Breasts   promising I too would

Be born in the season   of birth.

I sat on the dark path raining

Hard   bitter tears   on the

Ground   Later the dim light

Of my heart led me home.

I had a child once   I would

Later say   my child was

A star   that burst into light,

Became a white image burning

Across the face of the sky.

Oh yes   women   would answer

A star   aren’t they all?

You don’t understand   I implored

One long ago night I gave birth

To a star   with no midwife to

Comfort me   cool my burning brow.

I had only a dark path   a cool moon

And my love  to welcome my dying

Child  a star.