The Pregnant Woman
The Pregnant Woman nests a baby seed
Who’s ever pressing on her very core
While her body adapts to baby’s needs
She’s feeling aches she’s never known before.
A linea alba marks a fibrous path,
A vertical white line on her flesh
Of God’s exacting hemispherical math,
Where muscles and the forming child enmesh.
The Pregnant Woman cannot seem to sleep
She warns that moods are swinging, family beware
And in her waking hours, she tends to weep—
The Pregnant Woman needs some extra care.
Long labor pushes her past vertigo
Toward the deepest love she’ll ever know.
Homograph-ia
SHAKER style shingle or SHAKER made drink
SINK as in kitchen or swim, if not, SINK
RINGER on a phone or RINGER as in DEAD
HEAD of the house or HEAD of the bed
LIE on the ground or LIE withholding truth
LEAD down the path or LEAD paint near the roof
FAIR maiden behold or a FAIR price when sold
BOW of the boat or can’t BOW ‘cause you’re old
BASS type of fish or BASS a low deep voice
CHOICE to be made or meat labeled CHOICE
ROW an argument or ROW to propel a boat
WAVE moving hand or WAVE on which to float
ENTRANCE the way in or ENTRANCE to emote
DOWN a place lower or DOWN goose feathers fine
MINUTE very tiny or MINUTE a unit of time.
Surely, homographs are assigned from scholars above
How else could AGAPE mean Mouth Open or Love?
©2019 Beverly Stock
Poet’s note: Homographs have different pronunciation, meanings and origins but the same spelling. They are not to be confused with homonyms, homophones and heteronyms.
Beverly Stock is an emerging poet and a retired communications manager. She has published feature articles in magazines and newspapers in five countries. Beverly divides her time between St. Louis, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Though I have witnessed the birth of my daughter and son, I can scarcely imagine what these events entailed for my wife. In the first case, I could only say that I had fallen in love all over again. In this day and age, it is sometimes hard to believe how much we are still biological creatures. Every birth is a miracle, an act of Providence, something almost incomprehensible, though it happens every day.
The second poem was very clever, and I appreciate the distinctions you were kind enough to outline in your note. I was taught the difference between homonyms, synonyms & antonyms in early grade school (back when education was still a public concern) but it never hurts to have these distinctions refreshed.
C.B- Thank you for your comments.