Watching your labored breaths

Watching your labored breaths,
Tiny sighs and sweet yawns
Your miniscule digits
Wrapped around my finger

I can't believe you're finally here
I've been waiting for you for so long
And I still haven't held you in my arms
All I can do is watch you through the glass,
And stroke your frail body

Baby, please, hold on
Your hiccupping heart
Stuttering, stumbling
Has to beat, has to last
You have so much growing to do
And I have so much mothering to do

All I can do is watch you
I'm afraid to close my eyes
To close my eyes for a second
And wake up to find that you have
Dissipated into fragments of that dream

I whisper to you
I say your name over and over
Wrapping it around you like a blanket
I tell you stories where love conquers all
The Princess rescues the Knight from impending doom
I tell you about frolicking fairies and imagine you frolicking, instead

You open your tiny eyes
And I drawn within their depths
I know I'll get to hold you soon
Because you, precious fragile, you
Remind me to hope.