<\/b\/>I<\/p>\n
The Fates stand by the crib. It is midday,
\nbut they have darkened the room for effect.
\nThe baby\u2019s mother stands opposite them,
\nher hands folded over her apron.<\/p>\n
First Fate: This child is destined for great things.
\nSecond Fate: This child will change thought.
\nThird Fate: This child will be remembered for all time.<\/p>\n
The mother squeezes her hands together and her eyebrows rise.<\/p>\n
First Fate: There will be difficulties
\nSecond Fate: and anger
\nThird Fate: but these will be overcome
\nFirst Fate: and glory will follow.<\/p>\n
The second Fate, ceremoniously,
\npresents the mother with a skein of thread.
\nThe mother receives it with both hands.<\/p>\n
\u2018She is so small,\u2019 says the mother, \u2018it is hard to imagine.\u2019<\/p>\n
First Fate: She?
\nSecond Fate: She?
\nThird Fate: She?<\/p>\n
The Fates turn their backs on the mother
\n(who is not Charles Darwin\u2019s mother)
\nand whisper together.<\/p>\n
First Fate: Is this
\nSecond Fate: \t \tnot
\nThird Fate: \t \t\tMount House?<\/p>\n
The mother shakes her head.<\/p>\n
The Fates turn their backs and whisper.<\/p>\n
First Fate: I\u2019m afraid there has been a mistake.
\nSecond Fate: I\u2019m afraid I\u2019ll need that back.<\/p>\n
The mother\u2019s eyebrows snap together
\nand she puts her hands behind her.<\/p>\n
Third Fate: This is how things are supposed to be.<\/p>\n
The mother (who is not Charles Darwin\u2019s mother,
\nbut has ambitions for her child nonetheless)
\nsquares her shoulders and says,
\n\u2018No.\u2019<\/p>\n
The Fates stare at her
\nthen disappear with a pop,
\nleaving behind, for effect, three wisps of smoke.
<\/p>\n
<\/b\/>II
\n
\nThe mother touches
\nthe skein of thread to the baby\u2019s cheek.
\nThen she takes her finest needles and begins to knit.<\/p>\n
Round and round, loop and stitch,
\nshe lets the pattern make itself.
\nAnd when the thread runs out
\nshe pins the circle of lace above the crib.<\/p>\n
The design could be anything.
\nWhen the mother (who is not Charles Darwin\u2019s mother,
\nbut whose child will nonetheless achieve great things) walks by the crib
\nshe stops to look.<\/p>\n
Some days it seems that ferns and twisted vines appear,
\nsome days it\u2019s all sharp edges \u2013 steel and brick.<\/p>\n
On other days the patterns resemble stars,
\nsmall bright fragments
\nof an expanding universe, full of possibility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE FATES VISIT A HOUSE WHICH IS NOT CHARLES DARWIN\u2019S I The Fates stand by the crib. It is midday, but they have darkened the room for effect. The baby\u2019s mother stands opposite them, her hands folded over her apron. First Fate: This child is destined for great things. Second Fate: This child will change […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[379,380],"tags":[388],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n