Midwifing the Soul
\nBy
\nJoseph Anthony Petro<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Inside the constant doing
\nA baby is growing
\nWhile sleeping;
\nA baby who will one day
\nBe your mother, your father,
\nYour true love.
\nThat baby is an ocean lapping
\nAt the shores of your not feeling worthy
\nTo simply be\u2014
\nTo simply be ravished and perfect
\nFor who you are, not for what you do.
\nAs the baby grows and becomes a wave
\nOf warmth and wonder,
\nAnd the harbor of your breath slows
\nIn surrender, give yourself the gift
\nOf stopping everything,
\nDamning it all to hell,
\nAllowing it all to fall apart
\nAnd have someone else
\nPick it up for a change.
\nGive yourself yourself\u2014
\nYour moon-draped self\u2014
\nYour star-dappled self\u2014
\nYour
\nI-am-telling-you-
\nOnce-and-for-all-that-I-am-finished-
\nBecause-I-am-giving-birth-
\nTo-my-own-desires-so-leave-me-be-
\nSelf.
\nGo ahead–push a little, only a little,
\nOn your resistance to giving in,
\nAnd inhale stillness and exhale whatever sense
\nOf guilt and control still linger;
\nMidwife your child of warmth and wonder
\nWho will raise you up
\nWith the song of your own sleeping breath
\nAnd the palms of your own dreaming hands
\nLying open in the sun\u2014
\nAnd lay you down in a bed
\nOf satin swaddling clothes with gently
\nLowing cattle adoring you
\nWith soft, dreamy eyes.
\nNow lavish yourself with kisses
\nAnd the tender, affirming-
\nArriving-breath of peace–
\nAnd the warmth and wonder
\nOf loving
\nYour
\nSelf
\nEnough
\nTo simply
\nBe
\nEmbraced
\nBy this
\nMoment;
\nThis
\nOne
\nUnending
\n(Unless
\nYou
\nWant it
\nTo)
\nMoment
\nOf being
\nBorn
\nInto being
\nBorn
\nInto being
\nBorn
\nInto
\nBeing<\/p>\n
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