Because of the Clinic, I Am Alive to Tell You This
I have come here almost alone, with only my self
and my dying baby. It is too early to be this sick.
No woman could survive a pregnancy like this.
There is no crowded waiting room here,
and yet the room is so full of energy and emotion
that the air seems compressed and hard to breathe.
A woman is crying, sitting at the edge of her chair,
her head bowed. In front of her a man speaks
in a language I once tried to learn but never did.
He towers over her like a fierce giant
waving his arms, his legs spread like a boxer.
One does not need to understand the words.
If she keeps the baby, he will kill her.
They call me back, gently, to a calm and quiet room.
I sit beside a woman draped in scarves with a religion
I have heard of but do not know much about.
While I wait for the ibuprofen to take effect
we talk like old friends, like we are sitting in the living room
sipping tea in the afternoon. She has five babies.
She has nothing left for another one. She has no more
to give, or really, nothing more to be taken.
If her husband finds out, he will kill her.
There is a little stir from the nurses over how
weak and swollen and sick I am. They determine
I am well enough for the procedure. I am
comforted and cared and loved through
this lesser of two tragedies.
This is not what I feared it would be.
I am not judged. I am not injured by this act. I have
arrived here already wounded and in need of this care.
There is a saving grace here. There is an undisguised truth here.
Here with one woman who would be killed for keeping the child,
one that would be killed for not having anything left for another child,
and I who would be killed by a pregnancy no child could survive.
Here is not a choice we have made.
Here is where our lives are saved.
This is life.
Poem by Ann Kestner, Editor of Poetry Breakfast.
While Poetry Breakfast usually stays out of political issues and controversy, I could not keep quiet today. I am not able to get to the marches, so I am marching my words here. I will also be taking the poem out to read at an open mic tonight. Our voices, those who have had abortions, need to be heard. The world needs to know we are not killers. We are good women. The poem is autobiographical. I’ve not written anything more than what truly happened that day. Many debate and make this political, but this poem is the true story of three woman at an abortion clinic one morning more than 15 years ago.
#StopTheBan – Ann Kestner
Poem has previously appeared in Mobius: The Journal of Social Change.
November 25, 2019 at 6:38 AM
Life is going on
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July 2, 2019 at 10:13 AM
Please follow my blog too, I have written some pieces and would appreciate your support.
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July 2, 2019 at 10:12 AM
In our country,
In my religion,
In my tradition,
It is not allowed to carry it out.
But when laws are for public, it happens behind many closed doors. This poem deserves to be heard in my country, religion and tradition. Nice piece 🔥🔥🔥
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June 15, 2019 at 5:05 AM
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June 13, 2019 at 1:50 PM
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June 13, 2019 at 7:53 AM
Wow so powerful.
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June 8, 2019 at 5:57 AM
Thank you for this post ❤ So true
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June 6, 2019 at 11:57 PM
Three women died.
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June 6, 2019 at 11:35 PM
🤷🏼 I’m happy those three women are still alive.
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June 6, 2019 at 11:34 PM
Actually, it seems she is killing the baby because she feels “it’s too early to be so sick.”
No matter how you slice it, in this post, three babies died that day.
That’s nothing to be happy about.
LikeLiked by 2 people
June 6, 2019 at 11:13 PM
If you read carefully, she makes it clear the baby would not survive delivery.
LikeLiked by 4 people
June 6, 2019 at 11:10 PM
I work at an abortion clinic, and I have had an abortion. Thank you for your bravery, and your honesty. You are so important. ❤
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June 5, 2019 at 7:12 AM
Some people ought to listen to this. No uterus, no opinion bro!
LikeLiked by 6 people
June 3, 2019 at 10:44 PM
I love how elegantly you told powerful stories of 3 different people. This was well written. The imagery of those other women and the comparisons yet similarities will stay with me for a while.
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June 3, 2019 at 5:07 AM
This is hard reality. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 7 people
June 2, 2019 at 4:58 PM
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June 2, 2019 at 4:57 PM
This is beautiful…please check out my blog post basiii.home.blog
LikeLiked by 5 people
June 2, 2019 at 10:05 AM
Yes, such is life. Thank you for sharing.
LikeLiked by 7 people
June 1, 2019 at 12:03 PM
Beautiful poem!!!! More people need to hear it.
LikeLiked by 7 people
May 31, 2019 at 4:59 PM
Very nice…
LikeLiked by 7 people
May 31, 2019 at 2:28 AM
This is a message that needs to be heard by everyone. These procedures save lives. It should be accessible to all. Thank you for sharing.
LikeLiked by 8 people
May 30, 2019 at 4:23 PM
This poem brings an important message. It’s also so powerful and really moving. Love this. Some abortion could not be regarded as life killer. We should know the reason why women have abortion and see it from other perspective as well.
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May 30, 2019 at 11:34 AM
Nice
LikeLiked by 7 people
May 30, 2019 at 3:16 AM
Thank you for sharing this and speaking on behalf of all those women who’ve been suppressed for years and has forgotten to raise their voices against injustice…
#stoptheban
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May 30, 2019 at 3:10 AM
GOD! Loved it! Wrote somewhat on a similar health-related topic but maybe a little variant.. do read.. https://writeupsbysamiksha.wordpress.com/2019/05/29/depression-self-healing-and-reality/ Thank you. 🙂
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May 29, 2019 at 8:11 AM
Beautifully penned! Amazing!!😊
LikeLiked by 8 people
May 28, 2019 at 7:13 PM
Wow Amazing!
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May 28, 2019 at 6:14 PM
I’m sure this couldn’t have been easy for you to go back to these memories. But your voice is important and we hear you. Thank you for sharing your story. It is so important for people to know that “pro choice” does not mean advocating for the death of babies. There are so many circumstances beyond our control, and only the person experiencing that suffering and pain should be the one to make any decision.
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May 28, 2019 at 6:33 AM
Beautiful Poem !
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May 28, 2019 at 12:03 AM
golflay
ในวันที่ อ. 28 พ.ค. 2019 11:50 น. Poetry Breakfast เขียนว่า:
> Melinda Baker commented: “Brilliant!! I love this poem, I gotta say it did > bring a tear to my eye because I can relate. You’re a talented writer and I > like you’re work. ” >
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May 27, 2019 at 11:50 PM
Brilliant!! I love this poem, I gotta say it did bring a tear to my eye because I can relate. You’re a talented writer and I like you’re work.
LikeLiked by 8 people
May 27, 2019 at 2:48 AM
Thank you for sharing your experience. I really felt this on another level. This inspires me to write about my own experiences. ❤️ much love dear
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May 26, 2019 at 11:45 PM
But why did the baby have to die? I’m sincerely curious.
LikeLiked by 6 people
May 26, 2019 at 8:16 AM
Awesome poem it’s powerful and the feeling is relateable.
LikeLiked by 7 people
May 26, 2019 at 5:35 AM
Yes oke
LikeLiked by 6 people
May 26, 2019 at 4:11 AM
Amazing thing .!.
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May 25, 2019 at 11:37 PM
Abortion is a crime even before God..#abortion is not the solution
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May 25, 2019 at 8:31 PM
Ya nice
LikeLiked by 8 people
May 24, 2019 at 11:30 AM
Amazing
LikeLiked by 10 people
May 24, 2019 at 11:02 AM
Very powerful, Ann. Thank you for sharing such a tender moment.
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May 24, 2019 at 11:00 AM
Thank you for sharing. Yes, more voices like this should be heard.
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May 24, 2019 at 10:02 AM
Love the message this gives across!
LikeLiked by 8 people
May 24, 2019 at 2:43 AM
Some undeniable harsh facts of life. Very touching post
LikeLiked by 8 people
May 23, 2019 at 11:19 PM
This is specific case of abortion. As long as I know, mostly because of unplanned pregnancy. And I think every abortion has it’s own behind scene story. 😇
LikeLiked by 7 people
May 23, 2019 at 9:16 PM
This is so powerful, so important, and a really moving message in a time that’s so scary right now: women are not damaged after having an abortion, in fact for many, it is their “saving grace.” I love this.
LikeLiked by 9 people
May 23, 2019 at 8:15 PM
Cool
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May 23, 2019 at 7:45 PM
Such an important message. We are often so quick to judge others without stopping to take the time to wonder what their journey and story is.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.
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May 23, 2019 at 5:29 PM
This poem has made me realise that I should not judge a book by its cover. Women who have had abortions are not necessarily killers but are just victims of circumstance. Thank you for making their voice heard!
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