in a basketball game

players work hard to

watch the moving screen 

and in the

game of life the screen works too

as we watch the fecund mother-to-be

carry

the precious round ball of life in her belly

we oogle and shower and grin at the hunky-doryness

 

and when the ball hits the real world

the bouncing

beautiful

baby

beatifies

us

shows us what miracle looks like

and oh oh oh

we remember the miracle

 

and then whoa

we forget the pressure to perform

we fail to screen the mother

for overwhelmingness

fastidiousness anxiety depression

a rim of pain

now known as maternal mental illness

 

because

we expect her to work full-time

excel at her job

breastfeed till the cows came home

 cook and clean

and oh take care of the Daddy too

he has needs dontcha know

and she keeps up

dribbling

bounce passing

jump shooting

bypassing sleep (can’t sleep anyway)

a hook shot here

a free throw there

though nothing’s free

 

because maternal leave costs money dontcha know

how can you expect to stay home

and be a momma for a year or two

do nothing but raise a child

and get some sleep and

be lovin’

on the baby’s father

when there’s other work to do

 

and that’s why she runs laps

keeps up

because that’s what mothers do

dontcha know

until they don’t

until they go crazy