When Elliana
Was born…
The hospital
Announced It…
With a…
Chime bell
Played…
Over the
Hospital Intercom
System…
(As they did
For each
Newborn)
What a
Wonderful
Surprise!…
An...
Honoring and
Celebration
of Life!
Then...
In a...
bizarre…
Moment...
I wondered...
How…
Many people…
Had…
Died…
In the…
Hospital
That day?
The neatest
I could
Find...
Per day
In the
World...
360, 000 Births
Vs
151, 600 Deaths
I stagger...
When I
Realize...
These
Are not just
Numbers...
But real...
Actual...
Human Beings...
Who
People
Cared as
Intensely
About
As I
Cared for
Elliana...
And I was
Transported
Back to...
The numb...
Breathless...
Chilling...
Days…
My mother...
And Father...
Died...
Realizing....
That for someone
Else in the world...
Those days
They were
Days of...
Unspeakable Joy...
Hmmm
Here
We...
Were...
Life...
And
Death…
Passing...
Like neighbors...
If only...
For a moment...
Over...
the...
Fence...
Of...
Life...
One in...
Celebration...
The other in...
Mourning...
Both...
Existing...
In the
Same...
Moment
First...
And last...
Breath.