Baby

Baby
By Nicole L.

I have to choose when you breathe your last breath,
This is a hard burden laid on my chest,
I must choose for your future: life or death,
But for you my Baby I want the very best.

Although it hurts, I know what I must do,
Baby, I must now lay you down to sleep,
It may hurt me, but it's the best for you,
But the memories in my heart I will keep.

I love you that is why this hurts me so,
It hurts my soul and so deep in my heart,
Baby, I never want to let you go,
But deep inside I know we'll never part.

Baby, I love you but I must let you fly,
Baby, I love you, but I must say goodbye.

My friend Nikki wrote this poem in seventh grade. After it was published in Nikki's middle school's literary magazine, her teachers and peers understandably assumed that she had had an abortion. In actuality, the inspiration for this poem came from the tough decision to euthanize her sick cat. But because her cat's name was "Baby" and she neglected to make any reference to its feline features, she was pretty much asking to be gossiped about as a practicing pro-choice preteen.

If this poem is any indication, she was far too young and naive to be in that situation in the first place.