The Maternal Fugue

A mother and son duet.  
Mom draw her staff, Linea nigra noting her fertile tune 
Blue lines track his song, and purple hers. 
Yellow contractions, thunderous cymbals 
Time for the concerto to close, burgundy drapes to be drawn 
and a new solo to begin. 
 
Intermezzo 
Blue absence  
He won’t play, their performer is listless 
a much crasser show must begin. 
 
Hands clasped, like sterile prayers given 
Mentally reciting verse from text, medical bibles. 
Expectation of what is to come. 
Human hope to be the unwritten exception, an unforeseen statistic. 
 
Gospel gives way to staccato 
cutting 
ripping 
tearing 
and 
 
 
Silence. 
no cry, no croone.  
Red, iron metal, bloody, crimson afterbirth 
A former home, the drumming of maternal’s love 
a welcomed cacophony 
giving way to 
 
 
Silence. 
still. 
discarded tissue.