Mommy’s Little Dancer

By Joseph Reilly

Your heartbeat was strong, your movements like dance; It calmed your mom.

Week by week, we visited you via sonogram at the doctor.

Your mom counted down the days in between.

We didn’t want to know your gender just yet,

Planned a party. Your mom didn’t care either way.

Grandma put the down payment for a baby shower.

Your mom put that to the back of her head.

Then came some complications; Your mom started to worry.

Her water broke a little; there’s dilation; it’s only eighteen weeks.

She’s going to fight it. Mommy won’t give you up.

You’re still strong. The nurse said you’re waving on the sonogram.

Stomach pains; Daddy is secretly counting the minutes.

Pains are five minutes apart; closer, closer, closer.

It’s only twenty weeks. Mommy knows this.

Puddle on the floor. This is it, mommy says. Daddy already knows.

Four hours later you’re born. Mommy says goodbye.

Your heartbeat was strong, your movements like dance.

Joseph Reilly is the author of the novel Vanishing Love published by Adelaide Books (November 2020). He is the current head writer for ShipByMail Services Inc. Joseph’s writing has been published by Ephemeral Elegies, Monologue Blogger, Chegg.com, among others. He has also penned two self- published contemporary romance novels Hearts and Diners, and Better at Friendships on Amazon along with holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from The New School in New York. You can read all of his work and more here.