Somewhere in the past it didn’t matter
babies simply came
and some of them lived, while mostly
they died young and were buried without names.
Nowadays though we can pay to keep them,
or pay to keep them from coming at all.
Pregnant mothers take up knitting,
waiting fathers begin wearing night clothes —
settling down it is called
and every couple changes afterwards.

Congratulations on your sowing,
may you reap romantic children
who keep your faith alive.

-September 1980