Strength, hidden.

A moment in time
while scheduled
was strange
and beautiful

while she lay there
on
table
waiting for her
unborn
child
being born
by scalpal
to see his face
to know his
life.

Scared
yet informed
more than
before
as much as
they will tell her
her right to choose
empowerment lost
but
not
gone

She waits
patiently
the good patient
quiet and unknowing
what will
come next
what right will they
bestow upon
her
for HER birth

Not many
...wait...
because
here it comes

the only control
she can
have
she feels she has
and knows
she
has
she wants
and will get

Cloudy is her
mind as she
crawls from the
depths of the
cut
drugs fading
slowly

greeting
vomiting
it's not pretty
but
something more
powerful than
this Doula
has seen

a knowing, strong
and deep
crawling up from
places unseen

drugs fading
baby aside
deep determination
strong
will
to survive this
attrocity
to
be strong against
this forced
doctrine
of idiocy
she breastfeeds
to bring back
her power
fresh is
the pain

not stopping
her

My vantage
point is clear
she is
the bear
protecting her
cub
this strong
empowered
woman
drawing strength
from
places that feel
damaged
from pieces
left from
authority
telling her
that's she's broken

Fuck you
doctors, women
named Susan
and all
you
people who
think
she can't
when she
CAN

Obvious to
me
maybe not to
her
she has never
seemed so
strong and
beautiful
as she
is right
now
feeding
her young
boy at
her
breast