Now that I Am Forever with Child: The Cameron Chronicles

This weeks challenge was to:

1) Post a poem by a woman of color. Your choice must be a poet who has written in the last forty years. Do your best to avoid the most anthologized, popular poets unless poetry is new territory for you. In that case, check out why the popular poets are well loved.

2) Tell us why you like the poem you chose. Don't worry about the technical aspects of writing poetry, devices or forms. Give us your reader's response. How does it make you feel or what does it make you think about? What questions does it raise for you?

3) If you are a poetry reader and you can recommend a contemporary woman poet of color, who do you recommend and why? I would really love to hear about emerging or lesser known poets. Introduce us to poets from around the world.




Now that I Am Forever with Child

How the days went While you were blooming within me I remember each upon each— The swelling changed planes of my body— And how you first fluttered, then jumped And I thought it was my heart.

How the days wound down And the turning of winter I recall, with you growing heavy Against the wind. I thought Now her hands Are formed, and her hair Has started to curl Now her teeth are done Now she sneezes. Then the seed opened. I bore you one morning just before spring— My head rang like a firey piston My legs were towers between which A new world was passing.

From then I can only distinguish One thread within running hours You ... flowing through selves Toward you.

Written by Audre Lorde

I had other poems by lesser known poets, but this poem kept coming to me. Perhaps it's because Cameron's sixteenth birthday was just a few weeks ago, or perhaps it's because of the call tonight that reminded me that I am forever with child.
For the last two months Cameron has been filling out applications and getting her writing ready for a summer program at Columbia University. Yesterday she found out that she was accepted. Today she realized that two week program costs $3,500.00.
How did she miss this rather sizable fact when she began the process? Why did she think the cost was the $700.00 that I agreed to pay? Why can't she understand that after paying tuition costs for three children I can't afford to spend this for a two week program? Why is she crying?
I will forever be with child.-