My sister-in-law’s new baby
curls into her neck
pink as fruit

her eyes are still closed
unfolding one sense
at a time

I touch her little fist
and as she grabs on
it occurs to me
that if I fell out
of someone’s body
I’d be ready
to grab on too

today my son rides his bike
for the first time
and falls at the playground
mouth of gravel and blood

I clean him gently
with my glove
and then he tears off
to try the tire swing

was it so long ago
that he was that new
when even putting clothes
on his skin
felt too rough.