new women
we hold waters inside
collapse in ourselves
gulf swimming
concrete walls creak as they swell
body hollers
you see the gown, sister
barely covers the dome of me
how I swelled, ‘couldn’t know
no elders
underwater cry,
I am not embankment
not beach,
not dam
tides crash the shore of flesh
gulf against seawall
laughs, laps over, no one has
such force, no one has such might
you held my hand, sister
I held my breath
almost ended myself
almost ended him
I gave up, like pier
like port for hurricane
he came, they wiped gulf muck from his face
sea salt from his eyes
earth blood off his little body, placed baby
boy in my arms, elders in his eyes
