The Birth

E. Broughton

She lay in the dust began to die
Wondering how long it would take her
The scorpion drooled winked his eye
Wondered if he could make her
The pain was right twice as nice
She realised she was in labour
Life was a fight with men and mice
Mind how you talk to your neighbours
She cried in the heat shaking her meat
Sure she needed no friend
As much as this was beginning
It would sure make a beautiful end
The sand blew up in confusion
Salt running out of her pores
That being borne inside her
Was near to the end of its course
Her tits thrust up to Heaven
Her back was arched like a bow
The heat in the mother lay quiet
It was a long way to come just to go
Her body lay limp in the desert
Soaked with the love she gave
Her shadow will lie there forever
Reminding us all of that day
The scorpion wandered all over her body
Vultures stood still in the sky
If this was the end of beginning
Who was born and did anyone die
How those birds searched for her offspring
Craving to beat off her pride
So futile was all of their searching
Nothing that lived had ... such eyes