As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

7- ☼☼ ☼☼

 The Spouse awakens as the twilight grey

begins t'reveal light of dawning sun

with throes of pain and cries to call her love.

Our Pilgrim wakes beside her writhing form

and, sitting up, he asks to know what's wrong.

"The baby's coming," Spouse relays to him

through groans and sweating, try'ng to catch her breath:

"My water broke; I feel Progeny

is ready to arrive into our lives,

my love, thou'lt be a father, I a mum!"                10

Our Pilgrim is elated underneath

his anxious worry taking precedence.

"What can I do to help thee birth our babe?

Perhaps thou need some water from the well

to drink or wet a cloth within to keep

thee cool and wipe away thy warming sweat?

Or how about some food to lend thee strength,

as breakfast's coming up and thou wilt need

what energy thou possibly can raise?

Or I could hold thine hand if thou prefer                20

instead a moral kind of help from me,

or I could rub thy shoulders or thy feet,

or sing thee lullabies or give thee words

to boost thy confidence, or how about—"

"My love!" she cries. "Just shut thy stupid mouth

and drive to town to fetch the Midwife ere

I rip that bloody tongue straight out thine head!"

With "O," and "right," our Pilgrim runs outside,

preparing th'horses with an urgent haste

before he climbs upon the bench and snaps                30

the reins to start his speeding off toward

the town with heart that races in his chest

and pumps his blood with such anxiety

that by the time he reaches Midwife's house

his hands are shaking not from cold of th'air

upon his gloves. He raps upon the door

so rapidly that when her husband comes

and opens it his mood is soured so.

But on our Pilgrim's explanation doth

he rush to get his wife, and soon she's garb'd,                40

and with her bag of salts and salves and tools

she boards the wagon ere he turns around

and drives the horses back toward his home

with not a single thought of how this push

must be exhausting on th'equines that pull

his cart, for he is focus'd singular

on getting back to Spouse to help her in