9. Have You Read the News Lately?

Part 1. Atresia

two lines
horizontal
balloon-blue
an equal sign (=)
appropriate
zero-sum:
one life begins
another ends.

wait
you’re nauseous
seeing double
look again
one line
control
horizontal
#89CFF0
an em dash (—)

breathe.

Part 2. Clearblue

Even when the clock starts chiming—don’t.
Because when she said, you’ll never be ready,
you listened.

Even when life feels empty—don’t.
Not until pelvic prolapse sounds proportionate.
Because when she scissored her fingers, miming an episiotomy,
you listened
felt perineums split.

Even if you never know love quite like it—don’t.
Don’t water that family tree, not until you grow your village.
Because when she said, there’s no such thing as fifty-fifty,
you listened
heard wifely shoulders break under a husband’s weight.

No matter how it might change you—don’t.
Not until you’re sure you won’t drag them over bitumen.
Because when you said you’d break the circuit,
you lied
and raged in front of the dog.

Even if no one cares for you—don’t.
Not until you’re brave enough
to dedicate your life
to a child who can’t walk, see, hear, speak.

And even if you die alone—don’t.
Not until the thought of
fostering
adopting
stepmothering
auntying
brings happy tears.

Because you want to share your life as a parent,
not as an owner
of a DNA-matching pedigree puppy
who will grow up
become sovereign
and maybe
one day
hate you.

Even when she says, girl, you’re overthinking—don’t.
And you’re not.
Not until you can promise your babies
a world that isn’t burning.

Because when she whispered, sometimes I wish...
you listened,
read regret between the ellipsis.

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Michelle Jardim is a public servant and emerging writer based in Ngunnawal Country, desperately trying to balance her creative 5–9 with her corporate 9–5. She loves to write stories (and the occasional poem) with satirical verve. Her award-winning fiction has been published in Babyteeth and Verandah. ‘Have You Read the News Lately?’ is her poetry debut.