Sandy Benitez

Waiting Room at the OB-GYN Clinic

As the engorged clock ticked away,

I patiently sat in the waiting room

with my husband. The pungent smell

of familiarity greeted me. I sensed

the odour emanating from the used toys,

baby magazines, and plastic plants

that surrounded the room. Young girls

held hands, giggled with their beaus,

some were alone and stared straight ahead

at the walls like prisoners awaiting

sentencing. Twenty-something women

seemed more relaxed. Reading with their

legs crossed, swollen bellies peeking out

beneath stretched cotton baby doll tops.

And then there was me, a mother of two,

of advanced maternal age expecting

for the third time. Sitting quietly.

Waiting for the storm. Rearranging

the rooms in my heart to accommodate

one more permanent guest.

Sandy Benitez © 2009