Rock of Chickamauga (a true story)

thighs wrapped round the waist of the unknown soldier
arms raised pistol cocked
engaged in a
temporary skirmish
as Lawrence drives deep into Araby

withdrawing from battle sweated and victorious
our hero sheaths his jeweled magnum
and leaves to fight his battles elsewhere

newly seeded mother faces the armistice alone
battle weary, her belly grows substantial with the spoils of war
thin in extremity, knees and elbows pencil sharp
record the losses and casualties on hospital ledgers

jumping pain, twitching pain
cramping, biting, piercing pain
stabbing pain, shooting pain
darting, gripping, thrilling pain

right hand lassoes her dark hair
left clutches the cool arc of the toilet for balance
port wine splashes against the white porcelin bowl

she's vomiting blood

they've opened her up
childless belly flayed
exposing alien life
parasitic nodules sucking glycogen and hormones
alabaster marbles, silken cords strangling her failing vessel
they've closed her, untouched

our conquering hero returns to view his fetal fruit
shriveled, ruddied, every breath accomplished by machine
pishpishpishpishpishpishpishpishpishpishpishpish...
spider web veins glare purple through clammy gelatin skin
puppy eyelids fused shut
pencil arms and flamingo legs search the arid plastic box
for the familiar dark pulsings of uterine walls

The infant languishes month after month in his foxhole
amid a cacophany of whistles, honks, and pings
maternal heartbeat permanently replaced
by the rhythmic pulsings of the respirator
PISHPISHPISHPISHPISH
lungs seared
scarred by the prolonged pounding of the oxygen
forced on tender tissues
microscopic air sacs blocked
by mucus thick and clotted, streaked with blood

peaches turn to apples rotting in the bins
decay hangs sweetly over the child's crib
motherless now
hired women bathe his bloated body
he's tired, so very tired
heart beating boldly
nearing exhaustion
drowning in trapped blood
visibly expanding with water his body is loathe to release

a hand cool brown as autumn leaves
rests upon the small moist forehead
father eyes search for reason
for release from pain
swollen ears trap loving words from tear wetted lips
our hero stands beside the bed of his dying son
quiet, steadfast
solid as Georgia bedrock