Thrust forcibly
from the tight restriction
of a dark water womb
into the wide open spaces
of a bright, airy new world,
a newborn searches first
for secure boundaries, for
familiar wormth and soft sounds
in comfortingly close quarters, for
human smells associated with a filled belly,
and the gentle touches that presage love.
first published in St. Anthony’s Messenger
©2011 Bonnie Manion