A Response to Grace

In the ER, after twenty years, I lay,
Strength ebbing; alone, in disarray.
One child had... another unborn,
In a world harsh and torn.

Time marked by contractions' sway,
There is no one to hold, no words convey,
My child's father, in hiding lies,
Stitches on my face, his disdain's prize.

Nurse's words, a dart in flight,
I can't soothe my heart nor end the night.
"I'm helpless," she sighs, seeing my plight,
Without an adult, my son's out of sight.

Alone and scared, God seemed unaware.
But as despair closed its snare,
A case manager enters kind and sweet,
She stands by me, refusing defeat.

She calmed my toddler, easing my fears,
Through pain and suffering, her soft counsel perseveres.
Unseen by the rest, her deeds her efforts remain unknown,
Yet, in my heart, her love has grown.

Graceful woman in my tale's weave,
During dark times, she refused to leave.
Why she chose me remains a mystery,
But in her love, I found strength's treasury.


Author's notes: This 24-line poem is inspired by a short story "Proof of Grace or Something Else?"  in which a young mother-to-be finds herself in the ER without much help. When a hospital case manager enters her life. Written for round 127 of "Shadows and Light Poetry Contest"