Advent

Advent

Ciera Horton McElroy

Mine is a God who lives
in women’s stitches—in
the knitting needle knots
for a baby blanket and in
the surgical thread that 
sews a woman’s skin closed
after she has divided—
become two people, her
tiny act of divinity.

Advent II

Mine is a God for
She, for those chilled
moments when the 
doppler cannot
find the heartbeat,
when she lays still, 
mask on, willing 
the baby to move.
  

Advent III

Mine is a God of blood.
There is His in the cup
and there is mine in the 
bowl. We both grieve, I
think, over this: the daily
breaking of bodies.

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Ciera Horton McElroy
Writer & Mother

Ciera Horton McElroy's work has appeared in AGNI, Bridge Eight, the Crab Orchard Review, and Little Fiction among others. She is represented by Folio Literary Management. You can read more of her work at www.cieramcelroy.com.