bodies

tonight
my daughter asked me
where babies come from
she asks me a lot
of questions like that 
we answer truthfully
factually
because we want her to learn
that truth is not embarrassing
and bodies are not gross

bodies are a lot of things
sweet girl
but not gross
bodies are sacred
child
bodies are complex

bodies feel terrible anger and unbridled joy
they hold tension and flowers and hands
they are fashioned out of stars
and blood
and sinew
and they are breakable and fragile
sometimes babies come
sometimes they don’t
sometimes bodies work
sometimes they don’t
and sometimes people will tell you
my love
that some bodies are disposable
but those people never learned
what I’m telling you now

your body
is a miracle
it is a temple
filled with heart and soul and dignity
it is pure and good and kind
it is strong
it is soft 

quiet darling
hear your beating heart
it leads a chorus of angels
and signals to the universe
that you are here

and more than that
sweetheart
you are surrounded by miracles
people breathing life force
into the atmosphere
providing oxygen to heaven and earth 

right now
there are some bodies
having trouble catching their breath
there are some miracles dying
and earth is in danger
because every single body lost
is another labored breath
for the world 

i know
this is all so heavy
at 8 o’clock at night
when you just want to know
about babies
but baby
the truth is not embarrassing
unless you are not telling it
and bodies are not gross
unless you are trashing them
and i think it’s never too early to know
that your world exists because of miracles
protect them at all costs
it’s getting critical