In Pieces

by Nancy Gerber

You

with your chiseled

good looks

blue eyes,

sharp blade.

When you

pierce

my son’s skin,

blue

in the cold O.R. light.

Remember.

He is yours just

for a moment.

His blood once fused with mine.

Now he’s prone,

asleep on cold hard metal. 

A fallen prince. 

Your hands, precise

as time

knit him together.

While I,

my heart flapping

like a barnyard

hen, wait for

the block.

* * * * *

Nancy Gerber has published fiction, poetry, and essays in various literary journals, including Mom Egg Review, Adanna, Persimmon Tree, and others.  Her newest book, a collection of short stories entitled A Way Out of Nowhere, is due out from Big Table this spring.