Bluer than the moon

27.11.97

The little baby in the cradle looked
Her two big eyes were bluer than the moon
which dangled out of reach above her head
surrounded by its twinkling stars

She saw two rounded eyes - a little mouth
A pudgy hand reached over - touched her face
Pinching fingers pulled her cheek and twisted
Tiny knuckles punched her eye

The little baby in the cradle saw
Her two big eyes were wider than the world
Her mouth gasped air beyond her body-reach
Her face turned white and blood-sad blue

A struggle with no breath to cry beyond
A gasping - sucking-in of air - to feed
her reddened face with anger at unfairness
Her wailing cries began to build

The little baby in the cradle roared
Her two big eyes were oceans in her pain
Her lungs two bellows raw inside her pain
surrounded by its twinkling stars

-

A woman brought a bottle to the room
Her older child was playing on the floor
Her baby screaming-angry in her crib
had caught her face against the cot..again

The little baby in the cradle screamed
The woman soothed and fed - below the moon
walked up-and-down and up-and-down the room
Murmured as she settled her to sleep

The woman took the older child away
He ate spaghetti hoops and buttered toast
He asked why babies have to scream so much
and curled his little body in her lap

The little baby in the cradle knew
Her two big eyes had opened wide
and seen the world’s unfairness falling on her head
Surrounded by its twinkling stars

Copyright Charlotte Peters Rock 1997
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