side sleeping doesn’t come easy
my back longs to stretch flat
arms and legs reaching out like a jellyfish
trying to find a quiet

so I start
on my right
so that my belly
can beach itself on a nearby pillow

held protectively
by my husband’s unique fingerprints
the life lines running
along the inside of his hand

and when once
we used to rock ourselves to sleep
by our words
our own breathing

it is you now
that kicks us to sleep
we lay silent
in awe of your strength

the way you slide
your body
along the inside of mine
as if to feel

the inside of your father’s palm
and we begin to know you
your tides and your toes
and it is your tiny heartbeat that leads us softly through the night

copyright – Christina Adler – 15 November 2009 – San Mateo, California USA