Robbie Gamble
Emonie
Why she died is a mystery.
Why she had at least three different aliases and two social security numbers is a mystery.
Why her red blood cells sometimes curled up like tacos to clog her vessels, and
sometimes did not, is a mystery.
How she was able to remain gracious and thoughtful while twisting with pain, is a
mystery.
How she kept track of her prenatal appointments while turnstiling in and out
of the hospital with sickle-cell crises, is a mystery.
Why she chose at the last minute to deliver in a different hospital is a mystery.
What went so suddenly wrong in the hours after she called the shelter to say that she and
her baby boy were doing great, is a mystery.
The whereabouts of her babydaddy is a mystery.
Who will step up to embrace her son, and foster him and sculpt his character, is a
mystery.
How her spark will continue to glow in him, is a mystery.
How we all get up each day and carry on is a mystery.
Robbie Gamble’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in The American Journal of Poetry, Naugatuck River Review, Slipstream, and Poet Lore. He works as a nurse practitioner caring for homeless people in Boston, Massachusetts.
SUBMIT to What Rough Beast via our SUBMITTABLE site.