The first time we made love after the baby

from Loudmouth: Page and Pub Poems by Michael Botur

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Loudmouth collects 15 years of page and pub poems from one of New Zealand’s most dynamic young writers.

lyrics

The First Time We Made Love After The Baby

The first time we made love after the baby
In an out-south state house creaking like a ship adrift,
our stitches split and ripped, our nervous wince,
flinch, teeth agrit. Pleas to God not to wake our tiny bean
on his rocking chair. Can’t have interrupted sleep
Coz then we couldn’t catch a breakfast bus to WINZ
to fill a food grant form and weep
was the first time we made love after the baby

The first time we made love after the baby,
Saltlick, bitten skin, clutch tight as yang and yin
Our rhythm gentle as a daddy long legs on a breeze.
In the indigo, oiled the springs to stifle squeaks.
Afterward we prayed, afraid, and cradled.
Listening keen, asthmatic gasp. Dared to breathe.
Watching on a cupped phone our peers’ parties in Ponsonby, their laughing teeth, their prancing hoofs,
they overlooked our fragile family. Forgot us, in all honesty.

The first time we made love after the baby
agony and tenderness and tense breath
in throes on a tightrope atop his little crib.
Like Ötzi the alpine iceman crept across an avalanche
breathing on an ember in a box, chasing hope,
Baby snoring. Future dawning. Blue horror of a sleepless morning.
Starlings screaming, on our own, new home, alone, no midwife-warning.

credits

from Loudmouth: Page and Pub Poems, released March 7, 2021

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about

Michael Botur Whangarei, New Zealand

Michael Botur is a New Zealand poet and fiction writer of European heritage. He is author of ten books and has won a bunch of bigshot writing awards.
'Loudmouth: Page and Pub Poems' collects 15 years of spoken word verse from one of NZ's most dynamic young poets. Perfect for anyone who loves the personal mixed w the political, a little bit of hip hop and plenty of attitude.
www.nzshortstories.com ... more