Lines

Abstract

I wrote this poem while marveling at the birth of my now 4-year-old daughter. My husband Stephen and I had tried to conceive for several months, and we were overjoyed when Sophie finally arrived. Embarking on the fertility journey again – this time with deeper awareness of my own subfertility – I reflect anew on the treasures and travails of pregnancy. Specifically, I have noticed that my greatest hopes hinge on the most miniscule lines of a home pregnancy test. That such small lines could subsume sublime significance is a wonder to me. The ‘three line sign’ on a sonogram is also deeply meaningful, indicating that the child is a girl potentially capable of undertaking the same venture. These lines unite generations in a beautiful, oft-unnoticed way. As a mother, poet, and physician, I wished to communicate the connection between the production of lines and the reproduction of human life.

Keywords:

• Pregnancy
• motherhood
• subfertility
• infertility
• poetry

Disclosure statement

The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content of this article.