Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Nursing You Now

Here's a first draft of a poem I "wrote" this evening while driving and while working out at the gym, for my son Monkey, age 17 months. I have a feeling it's not finished at all, but since this is like a journal, I'll post it and then rework it later if it works out that way!

nursing you now

nursing you now
can feel like embracing an earthquake,
taming a tangle
of limbs grown
suddenly, startlingly too long--
knots of knobby knees
and your daddy's long, elegant toes
(no, no, baby, they don't go in my nose!)

nursing you now
has become a dialogue
full of jokes and surprises--
your mouth, full of mischief,
chug chugs like a train
through your latch,
then pops off smiling
for a quick Choooochoooo!

nursing you now
can feel like holding a hurricane,
my wanderer waylaid
and wiggling away,
pinching and prodding and pawing
until this moment,
this instant--
now

nursing you now
is a fleeting island of calm,
your clear eyes locked with mine,
your hands softly circling my breast,
and the sweet perfect sound of you suckling--
the syllables of your satisfaction.



Monkey nursing back when a camera
wasn't so much more interesting than nummies!

5 comments:

Beverly said...

I like that. I hope you get a picture of the two of you, too. It's a special time.

half pint pixie said...

just popping over from MDC, beautiful poem :) I can totally relate to it, why do toes always end up in my nose?

Elissa J. Hoole said...

Beverly,
Thanks for stopping by! Yes, my husband is a photographer, and he's been trying to get a nice toddler nursing pic. Unfortunately, the toddler is much to distracted by Daddy's cool camera to nurse! :)

half pint pixie,
Thanks for leaving a comment! The toes in the nose is a constant part of toddler nursing, I think!

karissal said...

Beautiful, sweet, funny and SO true! Good job capturing the joy of toddler nursing. Thank you for sharing it at MDC.

half pint pixie said...

I thought I recognised some of your posts, I've been here before! Gosh, I have such a baby-brain :) I'm off now to add you to my blogroll so I don't lose you again!