My Sister’s Miscarriage by Jason Fisk

I stood there as they squirted
the jelly on my sister’s belly
and was reminded of how my wife
giggled every time that had been done to her.
I stood there and began to sob silently
behind my sister as I saw
the baby on the screen,
but saw no movement.
I was used to hearing
the speedy little machine gun
heartbeat of my children,
but immediately knew something
was wrong as the baby
just seemed to float there in her womb.

The doctor walked us through
the ghostly images on the screen –
This is the baby’s head ...
here’s the rib cage …
this is the heart …
As soon as those words left her lips,
my sob could no longer remain silent
and was quickly joined
by my family’s sorrow
and muted chest heaves.
The technician continued
to earnestly search
for the missing heartbeat.
My sister finally said –
Could you please stop?




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[first read in his chapbook The Sagging: Spirits & Skin; used with permission from Propaganda Press]