Window

It took only a moment –
she had asked me to unplug
the clock to ignore the hours –
the look, the sway, a brief
shake of the head,
a deep breath.

Repeat.

Won’t it stop, she asked.
Soon, the midwife answered.

She sank into a curl,
molding herself around the baby belly.

Silently her womb squeezed and
she roared the baby out.

A deep breath,
A humbling cry.

We look for the blank clock
and note the timeless
child born
at the first breath
of the newest dawn.