New Poem

Ella

1.

Queen of the queen-sized bed,
she sleeps between us
arms outstretched like a plus sign

Then she rolls to her side,
back facing her true north father
Her fat foot buttressing my jiggly belly

Somehow she latches onto sleep, never fearing
that I could crush the life right out of her
with the body that gave it.

No—her snoring is a mother’s aria
filling the room
with her sweet music.


2.

Round midnight
She’s gumming for me,
nudging for a swig of warm milk

I let down and she takes me in,
cupping her hands around
my milk-full breast.

And when she falls asleep,
crazy drunk, I pull away—
she continues to suck

as if I am still there.
The next morning,
her jagged little teeth rub me awake.

Under my blouse
my sore, cracked nipple
is a jewel of pain.



Copyright 2006 January G. O'Neil