“Take heart that in Detroit
Every three seconds
A car is born.” – C.K. Stead
It takes 6720 man-hours
to make a baby, give or take.
The catch is
it must be the same man
and that man a woman.
We cannot specialize.
We cannot automate.
We cannot use assembly lines
or lean production techniques
to accelerate the timeline.
We cannot do anything.
She must do it all.
Her body assembles the baby
step-by-step, though her brain
does not know how.
She builds a heart in only 18 days.
She constructs the intestinal tract,
starting with the anus, of course.
She engineers a custom machine:
designed at random within certain
parameters and built in the dark.
At 6720 hours, the deadline looms
and she always delivers.
Holly Painter holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Canterbury and teaches writing and literature at the University of Vermont. She is the author of the poetry collection Excerpts from a Natural History (Titus Books, 2015). In addition to Delmarva Review, her work has appeared in numerous literary journals in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore, and the U.K.
Delmarva Review is a literary publication of national scope, with strong regional roots. In its eleventh year, the nonprofit journal discovers compelling new fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from authors within the region and beyond. It is supported by individual contributions, sales, and a grant from the Talbot County Arts Council with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council. For information and copies, visit: www.DelmarvaReview.org.
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Holly Painter’s poem reminds us of the true magnificence of a human miracle. The Delmarva Review discovers beautiful writing…the miracles captured by the pen. Thank you for publishing Ms. Painter’s poem.