gravity

before I clamp   

and cut a length of time grown

from the black hole of your belly

the midwife interprets placenta

the way astronomers read constellations

a loop in the cord the myth of your departure

I hear nostalgia for the womb

the way light misses the hearts of stars

we glove the light in our skin

find sleep in solar wind

wrap ourselves in the gravity

of your arrival

Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart lives in Christchurch with his family. He completed the course at The Hagley Writers' institute in 2015, and won The Margaret Mahy Prize for best folio. His work has been published in London Grip, The Christchurch Press, Leaving the Red Zone, and Snorkel 22.