Bare
My father’s wife bore him four daughters
one after
another though she
hoped otherwise,
hewn to
the mantle of my father’s
father, who
feared four names would
exterminate his family tree and
stripped her jaded hands, trading
six sheep to
soften the deal
for the son of
another: Xiao Xiong meaning
mighty and a
homonym for bear — Oh
it must have been mighty
funny when the fifth was born, a boy
though those who judged the bloat
of his incubator
shook their heads: too big
when my mother
shrouded him in
silken relief
the rusted womb
retiring, my own fitted and oiled
water broken
water spilled.
Bailey Xu
Editor: Sophie Staii