It is her birthday today,
the white haired blue eyed
baby, who I carried in a 
Snuggli to keep up with her
22 months older sister at our
farmhouse in Washington Co.
All that summer, I got to be home 
with these two busy, hungry 
sweet and cuddly cherubs,
hiking in the woods with one 
on the front and one on the 
back. I was stronger than I knew.
We fed the chickens and the 
goats, picked blackberries in
the brambles behind the shed
and went to playgroups together. 
All the dappled sunny days
and then I had to go back to work. 
My heart and my breasts couldn’t 
wait to get home, to nurse this hungry 
baby whose face was splotchy pink
from crying. The three of us, would 
fall asleep, tangled together, a tired
mommy and two little girls.

6/10/25