Afterbirth

Told she would die of
this lump growing in
side her--
go karmic
go spirit
go angels singing
from the realms of glory--
she buys a low
cut red shimmy shammy dress,
seduces the Jamaican lawn boy,
mails her husband's mistress
faked records;

Mr. Jonas: herpes advanced stage!!
Oh, so official.

She withdraws their savings in ten
dollar bills, spends weeks
hiding each bill separately
in the gardenias
the A/c duct
under the carpets
inside every bra, dress, shoe and book
she still owns.

The lump,
this lump, now
her baby
come full term,
implodes,
a whoooooosh
of after
birth taking her with it,
feet first, flying
away from this strict 
overplushed house
away from her faux-porcelain
mouthed husband,
only
that wrinkled
hand-clenched
desperate red dress
marking her shrunken
sad space on the bed.


Pris Campbell
©2005

Published in Poems Niederngasse, 1996

Republished in Empowerment4Women, June 2008


Art: Lamarie by Chagal



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