ABIGAIL, BEING BORN, a poem

Abigail, Being Born

When I first saw you, I did not know

whether you were male or female,

I did not know whether you were plain or beautiful,

I did not know whether you were smart or dumb,

kind or cruel.  I saw your eyes, blinking slowly at me,

dark with secrets.  You were a mystery to solve,

a puzzle to assemble, a story to hear,

a symphony to explode over me like salt waves,

healing and exhausting.  I knew only that I loved you,

wanted to love you, would dedicate the rest of my life

to loving you.  The moment after your birth,

I did not know you at all, but I was ready to learn.