He Is Ours
You were an island of stretched-out skin
A shock of flesh bath water could not cover
I was thinking about earthquakes and volcanoes
The plate tectonics of your sharp heels
Kicking tremors in the dome of her womb
And the lava is blood
A red river
It hisses and bites at the sea
A birth!
Who is it?
He is ours—
This continent’s new piece of earth.
*
Our third child and first son, Cole Parker Bailey, was born today (August 20, 2009). Mother and child are well. I was thinking about his coming the other day as I re-read this. I’m just rejoicing here (thanks for indulging me again) while turning Donne upside down: each birth enlarges us all!
A Motley Vision 
Congratulations! Thanks for taking the time to post this. And welcome, welcome Cole Parker.
Very nice. And congratulations!
Yes, congratulations Shawn! It looks like it’s baby month for AMV’s team: first Th., now Shawn. Exciting times.
Congratulations on the birth of your first son. And congratulations on a wonderful poem. Very nice!
Congrats, Shawn!
Beautiful, absolutely wonderful poem. I loved it, thank you so much for sharing this. And congratulations on your son, hope all are doing well.
Thanks, everybody, for the kind words and wishes.