choice

[intheheart]

Title: choice
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Maya knows what she's doing.
Date: 2006
Notes: This flatly refused to be prose.
Warnings: detailed discussion of abortion and anti-choice protesters.



the clinic is cold like
the metal under her
laboratory metal tables
and white-coated doctors

who frown and ask her if she is sure.

Of course she's sure.
She walked through protesters
shoving signs in her face, fetuses
curled up in metal pans--

they called her babykiller.

as if she didn't know why she's here.
as if she didn't know
what an abortion is
what her rights and options are

and that it's all her choice.

They give her painkillers and she closes her eyes
holds tight to Joy's hands
pretends she's not crying
when the cramps are too much

when the pain overwhelms her.

When it's over Joy helps her down
and she clings to her friend and shudders
because it's over, because it's not over
because she's relieved, because she's guilty

because she'll think of this for the rest of her life
and wonder.