Advent poems 24: Mary, by Anthony Wilson

Anthony Wilson,

Mary

At first a fluttering
then a kick,
his fist pummelling my rib cage
when I knelt to pray.

They sent me away,
my belly burgeoning
shame on his name,
his eyes looking right through me.

Amazed, he took me back.
He muttered
he’d seen him too
but best not mention it in company.

I sang then,
hymning prophecies
that were poetry
inventing themselves on my tongue.

The riots and the cold
you know about.
The roadblocks.
That donkey.

Let me tell you
nothing prepares you
for that O
cracking your pelvis,

his fists flailing in air
as if from nowhere,
tarnished wings
of an angel.

They say I said nothing
but treasured these things in my heart.
Pain overruled my throat
and hasn’t stopped since.

None of us gives birth
in silence.
I was no one’s favourite girl
till this.

 

Anthony Wilson

Published by Anthony Wilson

I am a lecturer, poet and writing tutor. I work in teacher and medical education at the University of Exeter. My anthology Lifesaving Poems was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2015. In 2012 I published Riddance (Worple Press), a collection of poems, and Love for Now (Impress Books), a memoir, about my experience of cancer. My most recent books are Deck Shoes (Impress Books, 2019), a book of prose memoir and criticism, and The Afterlife (Worple Press, 2019). In 2023 I will publish The Wind and the Rain, my sixth collection of poems, with Blue Diode Press. My current research project, with Sue Dymoke from Nottingham Trent University and funded by the Foyle Foundation, is Young Poets' Stories: https://youngpoetsstories.com/. This blog is archived by the British Library.

17 Comments

  7. What a light filled journey your poems have been for me this Advent. Every day.
    With kind regards and all good wishes for a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful NewYear .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Thank you Anthony for your Advent poems. Hope you had a peaceful Christmas and all the best for 2020. Looking forward to more of your wondeful blog in 2020.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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