Out! (a response to Things To Do In the Belly)

by Iole Damaskinos

Large open longing
Wide
Like the mouth of the whale
Who swallowed me
No matter how Miraculous
It still feels like a cage
“No man could survive being stuck in a whale
anymore than they could survive being held underwater”
Except, this Woman can.
The necessary destruction of cutting open
Are they demons or angels, the spirits wielding knives?
The rearranging of organic matters
That once worked to constitute
A life
“No man could survive being stuck in a whale
anymore than they could survive being held underwater”
So yes,
The rearranging must
As I hold my breath
Curled in a ball
Praying for the demonic angels
To complete their work
Of birthing me
A second crashing
Out of matter into Light
Tipping the scales
Weightily
Because at night
Choosing
Is all there is.