Two hearts

The sound of hearts beat.

Two hearts.

One fast - like a chugging train.

the other one faster - like a race horse.

The clock ticks,

at the labour ward.

Across the hall you hear,

the screams of a woman,

the constant military like encoragement,

and a baby cries,

crying as it awakes into a brand new world.

I see the look on her face,

fear slipping in,

flooding her mind with traumatic thoughts,

panicking - just a little.

Sudden pain steps in,

blocking out all worries,

and for a minute or so,

she can think of nothing else,

but the pain.

The pain - unbearable.

Every second influencing her,

to succumb to an anaesthetic drug.

Although against the idea,

she frees herself from the pain.

Epidural - the world's most useful drug.

Injecting its way into her body,

numbing her waist down,

easing the pain, almost immediately.

She sleeps...

dreaming of what is to come,

dreaming of meeting her baby for the first time.

Hearts beat.

Hours pass and slowly the pain returns,

this time bearable.

20 hours of pain, discomfort, nausea, anxiety, fear, and impatience...

Finally using every bit of energy in her,

she pushes in a hurry to meet her baby...

For a moment, both hearts stop beating.

One in unbelievable shock,

the other in awe at the sight of a brand new world.

Breaking this moment,

the baby cries...

Holding her baby in her arms for the first time,

she relaxes,

and baby's crying eases.

Mother and baby,

at the comfort of each other,

close their eyes and rest.

Two hearts beating together.

- end-

I witnessed a birth for the first time a few days ago. It was a new experience.

I wrote this poem for the new mother...