[Jim Moonan]

.
(ORIGINAL #2)

Born

For Kiki


Well look who’s come back
bawling and drooling for more!

Full of id with no name.
Only womb-swollen eyes

and a telltale trace
of someone's jaw line.

Look at her!
A ball of something

arrived from somewhere
via the darkest passage

into the brightness of here.
—There! Did you see that?!

The way her face changed?!
She just thought something

we will never know. She sleeps...
while I toy with the thought

of my own coming and going
and not knowing where I go

when I finally fall down
the darkest tunnel again

pushing through, eyes closed,
surely redeemable, toward light.



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ORIGINAL

Born

For Kiki


Well look who’s come back
bawling and cooing for more!

Full of id with no identification.
Only womb-swollen eyes

and an ethereal trace
of grandma’s jaw line.

Just look at her!
A ball of somethingness

arrived from somewhereness
via the darkest tunnel

with the light at the end.
—There! Did you see that?!

The way her face changed?!
She just thought something

we will never know. So sleep...
While I sit toying with the thought

of my own coming and going
and the fact that not knowing

where we go when we reach
the darkest tunnel at last

and go through with eyes closed,
surely toward the light?



EDITS

Title was Baby Born
L2: cooing was drooling
L4: Only was except
L9: somewhereness was nothingness
L12: was Keep looking… —There!
L13: was Did you see it?!
L15: was we will never know!

Last three couplets were:

of coming and going,
the fact of never knowing

where we go when we reach
again the darkest tunnel

and go through, surely
toward the light?





------------------------------

V3

Born


Well look who’s come back
bawling and drooling for more!

All scuffed up, full of id,
wearing womb-swollen eyes,

a hunk of something
journeyed from somewhere

arriving via the darkest passage.
So sleep little one, your alien sleep

while I toy with my own
coming and going:

not knowing where it all
leads or ends or flows.

We come and go with eyes closed
always moving toward light.


--------------------------------------------

V2
ICU

For Kiki

Behind glass, third from the left
in blinding light:

look who’s come back
bawling and drooling for more,

capped and wrapped tight,
tethered to tubes, full of id,

newly named, all fingers
and toes counted, Apgar approved,

freshly conscious, gurgling,
behind womb-swollen eyes.

and an ethereal trace
of grandma’s jaw line.

Just look at her!
A ball of somethingness

arrived from somewhereness
via the darkest passage

to this cold clearing, awakening
to the quiet, sensual celebration...

—There!

The way her face changed!
As if she thought something

we will never know... so sleep...
while I toy with the thought

of my own coming and going
and the act of not knowing

where we come from or where
we go, via dark passages,

eyes closed, breathless,
streaming toward light.




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