The sweater started elaborately
with Fair Isle patterning
in blue and cream
sticky oiled wool twisted skeins
I worked on it everywhere
all
the time
even in
French class
it grew more bulky
misshapen
I kept adding colors
without plan
orange gave
way to
hectic red
azure
then puke
a livid
pink then
puce
as the induced
pains grew
out of control
the colors
didn’t
help the contractions
and when I came
to the neck
I made it
tight as my cervix
the head
could scarcely
slip
through
the hole too narrow
clenched
against a life
opening