Premonition Jenny MacBain-Stephens Part I Inspired by images from The Nuremberg Chronicle (1493) natural phenomena, unnatural births, and birthmarks as omens. One half of a torso lay in the middle of the highway: the mound of hair and pink slivers unidentifiable, one automatically shivers: a bad omen. If the birthmarks weren’t already on my babies’ thighs… no, that’s not right, only one twin has a mark forcing the question, where is the mark of the other? If he was not marked coming into this world will he be taken early, was he not meant to be here. The light brown moth wings that imprint my upper thigh span one son’s leg as well, but not the other. Medical texts say it’s due to the ways fetuses move in the womb, to skin pigmentation Or birthmarks foretell: if you were shot in a past life if you will drown in the future if you looked at fire too long if the mother is vengeful if the mother is lustful if an angel kissed you if a devil inhabits your body if you once were a snake I help my son get dressed everyday I always look for a mark.
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