baby talk

            for Andrew K. Peterson

he said
nobody has ever
written a good
poetic narrative
about
pregnancy
from the
male
perspective

hell
I can’t think
of many women
who’ve done so
and made it
accessible

you could
really
strike a chord
with that
he insisted

if it comes
I told him
I’ll write it

if it doesn’t
I still have
the service
industry
academia
marriage
loneliness
dogs and cats
ham and swiss
gin and tonic
green bean
casserole
neighbors
bills
telephone calls
thunderstorms
and the endless
compulsion
to dance the keys

when the baby
talk comes
so will the words
however
mismanaged
and irresistible