Holy The Begotten

Holy the stirrups
holy the raised knees
holy the cervix
holy the spread
holy that hole
according to need.

Holy the resilience to bare
bear the poke, the prod.
Holy the cave, holy the walls
contracting,collapsing.

Holy the breathing
the in, the out.
Holy the force-
the push
or the pull.

Holy the gush.

Holy the labourers-
holy the compassion
in that antiseptic room
holy the hand
squeezed purple
holy the whisper-
you did great!

Holy the relief.
Holy a life
begotten.

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Rhonda Melanson is a graduate of Queen’s University Artist In The Community Education Program and has been published in several print and online magazines. She is the author of two chapbooks: Gracenotes (Beret Days Press) and My Name is Mary (Alien Buddha Press). She also co-edits a literary blog Uproar.