"Growth"

 

Growth  

                 For Victoria

 

Your hand rests

upon your belly, protective,
a shielding gesture all mothers recognize.

Shaking your head

at the offered beverage,
you turn instead to a bottle of water.

Moving slowly among the crowd,

you glide with care and grace, serene,
no fear of jostling the precious cargo you carry.

Smile unending,

your peace and joy are tangible
as you move from one guest to the next,

thinking you have kept your secret safe,

presuming no one knows the truth
that has yet to be spoken aloud,

but with each brush of your hand

across your midsection,
I see your smile grow.

One can only assume,

in another seven months or so,
you’ll be grinning from ear to ear.




                    ~~~

 

First published in print in Coffee-Ground Breakfast / March 2014

First published online in Whispers in the Wind -

http://whispersinthewind333.blogspot.com/2014/07/growth-by-cristine-gruber-united-states.html
July 04, 2014