Breaking the Skin

36 Weeks

Ren's new teeth 
Kill our sweet sleep
He wriggles and cries all night

We lay there and say:
"Tomorrow we'll pay,"
and try not to dwell on Ren's plight

Ren wakes with a smile
We walk into walls for awhile
and hope this will change very soon

Sleep deprivation 
Is a torturous station
There's a reason loon rhymes with the moon

We do it again
"Is it better for Ren?"
Co-workers ask with a cringe

"Well, he's doing all right.
Surely the end there's some light."

Coffee is more than a binge

The weekend appears
Distracting our fears
It's clear a first crush can heal all

Writing is cheap
For the vacation we seek
But it makes all the hard things banal