2 November 1977

Orlando's Birth

"Wake up! Wake up!" I heard Denise yell.

Her words in my brain would not jell

Into anything I could understand.

“It’s time. They are coming faster.

These painful contractions

Are unpleasant distractions

Keeping my excitement at bay.”
And then I hopped out of bed.

The words finally singing in my head.

Our baby is ready to arrive!

“Please hurry and get the van!”

I grabbed her bag of things and ran

Outside into the late night winter air

That scratched my face and bit my ear.

Brrr. My ungloved fingers froze

And snot oozed out my nose

As I touched the green van’s door

Knowing what was in store

When we drove in the dark

To the Bernalillo County Medical Center.

I held Denise's warm hand

When they put her on the gurney,

Here private ship

For the birthing journey.

Little did I know then

That my body was broken.

While her body contracted

My head plummeted

Into oblivion.

She shook my head and yelled,

"Wake up! Wake up! I need your help!"

I stroked her back and gave her ice

I wanted to do everything to be nice.

But I cried inside

When I saw her cringe

With each and every contraction.

“Follow me,” the nursed had said,

As she took me to a little room

Barely big enough for a broom

Where I donned green sterile clothes.

Denise squeezed my hand

With her grip so tight

Holding on to her wits with all her might

While shielding her eyes from the pain and the light.

And THEN I saw his wrinkled crown.

I got the camera ready.

Hoping my hands I could keep steady.

She pulled my arm

Very hard.

“I need YOUR help!

Put that away.”

Then came the baby’s face

Bloody and creamy

He looked beautiful

And a little creepy.

They put him on Denise’s tummy

And then they gave our baby boy to me.

My heart yelled out, WOWIE!