Laquisha

Laquisha's arms are scarred by tracks
but for six months she's been clean
when she learned she was pregnant
she quit cold and split the scene

Her first weeks were so scary
she hugged her knees and cried
until she found resources
she didn't know she had inside

It was hard to break her habit
harder still to make ends meet
but she vowed to her unborn child
no more to walk the street

NA meetings at the mission
have helped her make it through
they helped her find a place to live
and work that she could do

She's cleaning office floors at night
and saving every dime
for things she knows her babe will need
when it's her birthing time

Lamaze class and yoga stretches
do more than help her thighs
as she plans a healthy baby
they're her new natural highs

She's learning to love zucchini
and do without caffeine
she'll be a grown-up mommy
although she's just a teen

c. 8/29/09, B. Riley