No Longer Your Home

A poem written in the NICU

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on

Stretching beyond the tangible
Trudging through rivers,
Weaving through thick jungle brush,
Scars adorn my body —
Marks of the sacred work of bringing you home.

Laborious and instinctual,
This grief is my greatest delight.
Even as my soul aches —
It cries out, closer.

A love like this,
I’ve never known.
Forsaking all else,
I wrap you in lullabies,
Tuck nurturance beneath your chin.
Whispers of growth cradle your head,
Sent from miles away —
A deep knowing: they are felt.

My body was your first home.
Though it couldn’t carry you far enough,
With all that I am,
I will carry you further.

Unspoken intertwining,
An intricate tangle that binds our hearts as one.
Together we will grow —
With hope as our compass,
And steadfast devotion as our guide.