5 Month Ultrasound

The room is dark, warm, small.
First, warm gel on my belly.
The monitor is staticky,
ripples radiate down from the top of the screen.

Then, quickly, blurred flashes,
the nurse moves the wand quickly, slimily.
Softly, an outline, a skull, a round abdomen,
fingers! a femur! girl parts!
You kick and flip in curiousity or protest.
"Here is the stomach" the nurse says...
"I'm measuring the head here..."

But the warmth in the room, or the realization of you,
and I start to see what you really are.
Floating in silver specks, flexing and stretching gracefully,
your toes touch stars, your fingers count constellations,
you are large, infantesimal, transparent,
swimming in a sea of starry life
swishing and sleeping and gently growing
even larger, pressing against my insides with a swelling glow.

And when your time comes,
when you are ready to meet us,
ready to leave your silver sea,
when you have swallowed time and light and distance,
used up much of your space, listened for my voice,
you will rest, head down, and like the sun rising,
shine your way into the world.