One star for each of Andromeda’s sons
each of my grandmother’s babies
six times Constantina was called to the house
entered backwards to invoke a swift labor
crushed lavender and rosemary to induce a sweet birth
medal of St. Margaret wrapped twice ’round her neck
protected the newborn’s fate barefoot always for the delivery
Amniotic fluid streaking the sky
what spell or incantation to hold me
a woman from Cuyamungue once said
the sure way to ease labor pains
hard boil an egg roll it gently
on forehead throat and stomach
repeat this nine times
she was sure it had worked for her daughter
—
Katherine Seluja received degrees from Yale and Columbia University. Her poems frequently reflect her healthcare experiences and have appeared in Adobe Walls, Santa Fe Literature Review, Sin Fronteras and New Mexico Poetry Review. Her co-authored book, Braided Voices, was selected for the 2011 New Mexico Women Authors Festival.
200 New Mexico Poems 