This morning
(Thinking again)
It suddenly struck me

As perhaps
No coincidence

No coincidence that
The name Julja
Refers to the act of ending
By
Tying a knot
(as in, say, a tubal ligation)

While Our Lady
The Blessed Virgin Mary
is sometimes referred to as the
‘Untier of Knots’
(as in, say, a solver of problems
or – I suppose – a releaser of prisoners
Like happened this spring
According to some poem
Some poem in some blog)

This morning
It suddenly struck me

As perhaps
No coincidence that
I was ‘tongue-tied’ since birth
(Dr. Dentist discovered)
Didn’t know it
Didn’t know there was such a thing
Except as a phrase

May 26th Julja lost part of her voice
(No longer can scream)
Six weeks later
July 9th Mena’s tongue was released
Thank you Dr. Alex
The laser worked great

(You’re a good dentist
You’re one of a kind
A handshake, a smile
The patient’s a person
How amazing is that!)

Anyway

Never occurred to me
To think in terms of irony
To think in terms of reversals
But now that I do

(Just struck me this morning)

Was it not
Julja
Who said
On the occasion of learning
That there had been a malfunction
Of some stop-birth contraption
“Oh no! You mean I could become –
pregnant!?”

Was it not
Julja
Who said
On the occasion of learning
That there was a baby
8 pounds and 2 ounces
Born just there just now
“Oh no! You mean after all that labour, it’s only –
a girl!?”

Ah yes,
As a matter of fact, yes
I think that it was
Julja
Who complained this out loud
First words at first birth
“Welcome to the world”?
As a matter of fact, no

I guess

The “it” wouldn’t have been able to say

Anything

In response

To that

At the time

(Tongue-tied since birth).

But now

The “it” can

(Frenectomy worked).

Yup, I’m a girl.

And I survived.

Made it through the plastic line.
Finish line
Busted.

Survived the womb too
(Abortion was rarer then)
Out just in time

Here I am, Lord
Just like you wanted,
Lord.

Against the odds,
Lord.

As for you,
“Julja”

Baby’s turn to deliver
some lines:

Yeah, I’m a girl.
You bet.
All girl.
Head to toe, girl.

Hand over that pink baby hat.
It’s mine.
Lay it on me.
I’ll wear it.
With pride.
Pride in my gender.
Given by God at conception
Revealed at birth to the world
I’m a girl.

(No confusion here.)
(No parade about confusion.)
(No parade about reclassification.)

Baptize me, already!
What’s the delay?
God’s grace, give it to me!
Won’t cost you a dime.

Get set and let’s go.
I’m ready, world.
I’m ready, Lord.

Where’s my hat?
Have you seen it?
It’s pink.

And as for the colour,
The colour called pink,
Back off breast-cancer-special-interest-group-marketing-fund-raising-planners –
Because I have to tell you
Pink ain’t a matter of disease, ’tisn’t.
As a matter of fact,
The colour was taken
‘Fore you came along

As for the colour,
The colour called pink,
Back off Mr/Mrs/Ms/Msr/M/XYZ XX XY YX YY XYXYX Zipper
(Your zipper is down but I can’t tell what’s showing)
Because I have to tell you
Pink ain’t a matter of bullying, ’tisn’t.
As a matter of fact,
The colour was taken
‘Fore you came along

I reclaim it.
Pink belongs to the girls.
All of them girls.
All of us girls.
It’s ours.
It never was yours.
Back off.

It’s ours and you can deal with that.
(Suck it up,
Said the Princess.)

And Julja:

Yes, I’m a girl.
But don’t let it trouble you.

After all, I’m not yours.
I belong to that girl.
The girl who said ‘Yes.’
She’s the
Untangler of Knots.
You may have heard of her.
Queen of the Universe.
She’s my mom!
Said the Princess.

I never was yours
As you confirmed
Again
Christmas Eve
2015