Monday Poem: No Santa Ana Birth Day

Ventura Pier: smoky sunset

My October 23 due date passed.
I knew this wasn’t a Libra baby
indecisive uncommitted as air
weighing the benefits of joining us
of making we two a family.

No this Scorpio took advantage of
our tidal wave of passion of love
of happiness of ecstasy of heat:
saying yes you can conquer all with love
saying be careful what you wish for

asking are you ready for this child? me?
Yes, we discovered we wanted you child,
child who hovers in my belly you
Scorpio baby making us wait. We
have no name yet for you, know little of

you. We call you Sam–your dad’s infant name.
He and I born in California heat–
he in October, me in January–
we wait in the midst of November
warmth, walk balmy evenings to the beach

feel for contractions, watch for dolphins–Oh!
There they are! Look! Feel! Touch! The air burns
San Diego, Simi, Piru, and more
hillsides scorch as Santa Ana winds fly

flames. The day’s haze not normal coastal fog
shielding the sun but ash. We close windows,
blinds, keep out the heat, smoke. Our home cave-like
dark, cool, primeval, hints of burning
chaparral, lemon trees, lumber, timber.

I don’t want to take deep breaths of labor
my throat, my lungs filing with smoke, ash
passing to you as we work together
to meet. I don’t want you welcomed here this
way Earth’s breath searing your new fresh lungs.

Orange red sun moves slowly south west drops
too early in the day, sign of fall and
winter comes. Day closes, cool. Ocean
dampens earth’s oven breath. We will go to
the sea, bring you, water baby, home.

c. Gwendolyn Alley
published ArtLife Limited Editions February 2004
revised November 17, 2008

We celebrated the boy’s 5th birthday yesterday; fortunately the smoke from this year’s fires didn’t dampen the fun around here. Photos and recipes for pirate cake will follow soon!

I found the image above here.

Here’s another poem inspired about other fall fires, as well as a copy of Joan Didion’s essay “The Santa Ana” from her essay collection, Slouching Toward Bethlehem.

There’s more poetry links over there under “book”–you might check out hello, gingaTao! or readwritepoem or the poetry train revisted to name a few…