A CHILD IS A KIND OF DEATH*
by Roseanna Alice Boswell
meaning: we cannot come back from
there, cannot un-tire ourselves
from teething & feeding & crying
into the dark of our apartment.
A child will fill the air, will hold us
purple-lunged in her fists even after
she is asleep. We will doze & wake
& dream we didn’t hear her calling.
We agree on this, holding hands
over our wish lists, our unfolded towels
& somehow still want to bring this small
mourning into our home. Still want
to see what can be mended or revived.
* This title is a quote from an interview I conducted with my husband on November 18, 2021. He was responding to the question, “Do you think about being a father?” The answer was yes &.