E. Broughton She lay in the dust began to die Wondering how long it would take her The scorpion drooled winked his eye Wondered if he could make her The pain was right twice as nice She realised she was in labour Life was a fight with men and mice Mind how you talk to your neighbours She cried in the heat shaking her meat Sure she needed no friend As much as this was beginning It would sure make a beautiful end The sand blew up in confusion Salt running out of her pores That being borne inside her Was near to the end of its course Her tits thrust up to Heaven Her back was arched like a bow The heat in the mother lay quiet It was a long way to come just to go Her body lay limp in the desert Soaked with the love she gave Her shadow will lie there forever Reminding us all of that day The scorpion wandered all over her body Vultures stood still in the sky If this was the end of beginning Who was born and did anyone die How those birds searched for her offspring Craving to beat off her pride So futile was all of their searching Nothing that lived had ... such eyes