| So tired | Of baby’s tears |
| Up late again | I grow weary |
| Why do you cry, my little son? | Are you hungry? |
| Are you wet? | Too hot? Too cold? |
| Here, let Mama hold you | It’s late. Please go to sleep. |
| He stares at me | Then he coos |
| and sucks his thumb | lays his head on my shoulder |
| relaxes in my arms, asleep | his hair so soft against my cheek. |
| Good night, my little one | Sweet dreams. I love you. |
Lauren McBride’s work has appeared in the contest chapbook the Drabbler #14, the Aurorean, Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine, and online in various Ezines. She was chosen first runner-up in Crossed Genres’ flash fiction contest of July 2009 for her story, “Go-Green Grass”.
The Cleave 