The Father You Never Had to Be

 

I take out the brochure –

Termination of Pregnancy Aftercare.

Yeah, it’s been months since

I gave up my child for you,

But it doesn’t make it hurt any less.

That was my baby –

OUR baby.

But no use in crying now, right?

It’s done, gone, dead.

I’ll never know if it was a boy

Or a beautiful little girl.

Do you ever think about it?

Do you ever wonder

What our baby would’ve looked like?

Who our baby would’ve taken after?

I think about it often.

Do you know that

I would’ve been just over

Six months pregnant now?

Our baby would be due

In a couple of months or so.

I smile at the thought,

But it’s always interrupted

By the tears that follow.

Why did I do it?

Why did I give up my baby?

Because you asked me to.

And because I loved you enough to.

So I raise my glass to you in a toast:

Here’s to the father

You never had to be…

 

Copyright©JosieWentzel10December2007