Little Virgo
Child of light-
How long will this white
Innocence last?
Too quick the years-
They shall pass too
Into some deeper hue
Say laughing gold
Or quiet blue.
Summer's night
Child of September-
How well I remember
Your quick silver.
White lightening
And a flash of sun-
When will you run
In lavender's passion
To tell me what you've done?
Yesterday I saved the day
To watch my little girl at play.
I watched her chase the butterflies
With laughing, twinkling, sky-blue eyes.
And like most other two-year tots,
She'd pause to smell forget-me-nots.
Then sharing something with the breeze
She peek-a-booed about the trees.
I've never seen a soul so free
As open-armed, she'd run to me.
And taking just a pause to rest,
She laid her head against my breast.
But once I saw a sleeping child
Who never moved, or breathed, or smiled;
And motionless, with small hands curled,
She slept within her liquid world;
All wrapped within the gauze cocoon
Which had replaced the soft, warm womb.
I stood and stared; I almost cried;
My baby lived - this small bud died.
In this whole world, was there not room
To leave her sleep within the womb?
Are there now none who feel as I
That we've no right to choose who dies?
She'll never have a summer day
A chance to laugh, to run,to play;
Or live and love, or grow with grace,
Or feel a soft kiss on her face.
What dreams or longing could there be
Within that silent limbo sea?