"
Incarnating"by
Peggy Hong
W
aves descend your open throat,chest, gut,
down your empty legs
to the soles of your feet.
You are the sister
who swallows the ocean.
Y
ou spend gaseous, blurry dayssmelling your baby,
rubbing your scent on her
to make her yours.
You inhale her puffs
of air, that smell of milk.
You swallow her whole:
you have been starving
for her.
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B reastmilk itself is invisible. |
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But you watch it plump |
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your baby's silk pocket cheeks, |
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listen to her gulp |
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like some untamed creature. |
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Hear it. Every swallow |
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announces her intention |
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to stay. |
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Your baby fills the room. Close your eyes. Reach out and pull her down from the corner of the ceiling, where she floats like the feathers of those who brought her here. |
From The Sister Who Swallows the Ocean (1997)
Used with permission of the author.