the day he was born was

a windy day in march

 

mama told daddy to go

to town to get the doctor

the cottage had no telephone

no running water

 

fronny was a neighbor

who lived over the hill

she told daddy she

would stay with mama

 

daddy did not have a car

had to walk to Congo road

to hitch a ride to town

 

when the doctor and daddy

arrived at the house they

could hear a baby crying

from within

 

they hurried in and found

mama and the baby in

mama and daddy's bed

 

the baby was lying on mama’s

chest nursing his first meal

 

the old doctor checked mama

said that she was alright

 

he told fronny she

had done a good job

she smiled

 

he circumcised the baby

packed his doctor’s bag

and told daddy the

doctor’s fee was five dollars

 

that was eighty years

ago today

march 19, 1941

out in the country

on a special dirt road

named shady grove