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Mama Mada
You were born, you had body, you died.
It is just that you never giggled or planned or cried.
Believe me, I loved you all.
Believe me, I knew you, though faintly, and I loved, I loved you
All.
How to Tell Your Son He Has No Friends
by Natalie Shaw
You will get the first bit wrong: he won’t
be able to meet your eye. In the dark,
you can hold his hand and stroke his hair.
Forget the things you said this morning.
Forget the things you said this morning.
Take him to the pool and swim
together. He’ll start off scared, you can
take your time. Unwrap him gently,
hold him in the water. Together
you’ll watch the water slap with light;
it will start to sparkle up
through your tummies; you can laugh,
first him, then you. Your cracked-up shells
are smoothing over, your scrambled bits
are safe inside again. Go back,
back in the dark to see his outline,
the shape of who he is, the gap
that spools and spools around his shadow.
Tell him it’s your gap too, tell him,
tell him. Hear him breathe.
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