How to Crack an Egg

Your feet dangling from the kitchen counter,
I show you how to carefully crack an egg.
The yellow yolk plops into the flour,
The whites of your eyes get big at the sight.

I place your small fingers on the whisk,
And I place my fingers on top of yours.
I hold the bowl steadily,
And together we mix.

But before we crack the egg,
Before your feet dangle off the kitchen counter,
Before there is a you,
And before I am fully me.

I'll stand alone barefoot on cold bathroom tiles.
I'll light a candle and play a Brandi Carlile song,
While filling a syringe with a cold liquid I can't pronounce.
And I'll pierce it through my skin and into my belly.

For weeks I'll bruise and bloat,
My heart will feel heavy yet hopeful.
I'll light so many candles,
And fill so many syringes.

I'll do this for you and for us,
So that many years later when the time is right,
I can watch your eyes wide with wonder,
As you learn how to crack an egg.