it’s no love
child

you’re pregnant
with pain

early contractions
reflexes

to his loud
escalating action

for a week you’ll think
he fractured your wrist

before your water breaks
a flood of realization

plummeting shattering
like a nursery window

denial obstructs
dilation

but long labor
delivers the truth

nine months
after his initial act

you’ll finally
be able

to use the first letter
of the alphabet

to call it by its name