Alison Boyce
Cell 2 Soul. 2006 Spring; 2(1):a9
29 weeks
You lie
so still
in your womb made of
plastic and
steel
trying to shut out the world
unprepared for
its trials
and
triumphs
Yet silently
within
you wage your hidden war
as the world waits breathlessly
to embrace your
victory or
defeat
A savage warrior
in 1200 grams
Education
After
4 years with
$134,635 tuition paid to
attend 1,076 lectures and pass
64 exams
still when I look into
your eyes I am
helpless
to quantify
your
pain
Automation
Plastic tubing snakes
across sweat-dampened skin
An IV plunges
into your arm its lifegiving
fluid marches
steadily
invading
your circulation
You lie entombed
in a tangled collage of
wires leads lines
as the monitors intone their sterile cadence
impassively marking
each
beat
of your heart
To me you have never looked
more human
Anatomy Lab
Clouded eyes that
once danced in joy and
fear
a mouth stiff frozen
remembers year of smiles
kisses laughter moans
a heart lying
on a cold steel table
ventricles gutted arteries
probed to tatters
once pounded in love terror
anticipation
Clumsy and prying
my scalpel lays waste to your waiting flesh
battling fiercely
to be worthy of
your gift