The Burdens of Pregnancy

11 February 2026

https://poems.culturing.net/2026/02/the-burdens-of-pregnancy/

I appreciate the burdens of pregnancy,
the toll on the body, the years of spent energy,
and I do not take it for granted that you
will take on those burdens for me. It is not
a prerequisite. But some part of me would be disappointed
if some part of you does not yearn to carry my child,
because I yearn to put one in you. But this yearning
is not the same thing as a plan or a goal,
or (much less) a demand. It's just nature running its course,
and we can decide (together) which parts of nature we wish to obey.
A family, after all, begins with two, and maybe it ends there.
I can still imagine joy and warmth and many of life's greatest blessings.
But having a child might be good for you. Many women say so.
I admire your honesty. It means I can trust you
to tell me how you really feel. If your feelings are complicated,
then we can wait for them to uncomplicate themselves. I would wait
a long time for that. I want you. We can figure the rest out.