The Beginning was the End

I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl,
her head fit into the palm of my hand
and her tiny fingers could curl around
my fingertip; they would never curl
on their own, never would her synapses
fire directions to her extremities.

She will never feel pain, anger, resentment,
fear. Never know the touch of love, the ache
of heartbreak, the joy of family. She will
never taste exotic foods or travel to enchantment.
Nightmares will never plague her dreams and
dreams will never invade her everlasting sleep.

Weeks of love and longing, of hope and light
were dashed upon the broken rocks of fickle
chance that took her from my arms and carried
her away from me forever. She never drew a breath,
never shed a tear, never learned to speak.
She never lived outside the womb. But--
I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.