Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/301701
32 BRAVA MAGAZINE | MAY 2014 WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING IT'S NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT AT ALL BY TAKEYLA BENTON THRIVE MUSE *DONmTRECˬLLGETTINGTHEBOOK n8HˬTTO&XPECT8HEN:OUmRE&XPECTINGoBEFORE*HˬDEITHEROFMYKIDS *GUESSITmSNOTˬGOODLOOK WHENYOUmREPREGNˬNTINHIGHSCHOOLˬTTHESˬMETIMEˬSONEOFYOURTEˬCHERS *KNEWˬBOUTTHELˬBORPˬIN ˬNDWEIGHTGˬIN BUTNOONETOLDMEˬBOUTTHEMIGRˬINES ˬNDTHEFRUSTRˬTINGLYFOREBODINGFEˬROFFˬILURE THˬTOFTENTˬUNTSYOUWITHTHOUGHTSTHˬTEVERYONEISˬBETTERPˬRENTTHˬNYOUˬRE *WOKEUPTHISMORNINGTOˬLIFE*DIDNmTTHINKWˬSREˬLLYMINE *WˬLKEDPˬSTTHEMIRRORNˬKEDˬNDNOTICED*LOOKEDLIKE5ONYTHE5IGERBYTHEHIPSˬND THIGHS 4OMEONEDEǢˬTEDMYBOOBSˬNDPUTBˬGSUNDERMYEYES 8HˬTHˬPPENEDTOMYBODY 8HˬTHˬPPENEDTOTHETIME 4UDDENLY*HˬVEˬYEˬROLDGOINGON 4HEmSDESTINEDFORGREˬTNESSˬNDSOMUCHMORE *HˬVEˬLˬRGECHˬRˬCTERSTUFFEDINTOˬYEˬROLDWHOISCONVINCEDHEISˬSUPERHERO 4LEEPˬNDSILENCEˬREHISˬRCHENEMIES)EmSTˬUGHTMELOVEˬNDPˬTIENCE*THOUGHT*mD NEVERKNOW *LOVETHEMBOTHMORETHˬNˬLLTHEWORDS THˬTHˬVEBEENWRITTENOREVERHEˬRD BUTITOFTENHITSMESOHˬRD ITLEˬVESSCˬRS 8HˬTIF*FˬILTHEM 8HˬTIF*FˬILˬTMOTHERHOOD 8HˬTIFTHEˬNSWERS*TELLTHEMˬREWRONGˬNDTHEFOOD*COOKISNmTˬNYWHERENEˬRGOOD 8HˬTIF*CˬNmTKEEPTHEMOUTOFJˬILOROFFDRUGS 8HˬTIF*DONmTTELLTHEM*LOVETHEMENOUGHORGIVEENOUGHKISSESˬNDHUGS *DIDNmTEXPECTTHISFEˬRTOTˬKEHOLDˬNDPˬRˬLYZE INˬNGUISHˬS*PLOTOUTTHEIRLIVESˬNDOVERˬNˬLYZE )OWCˬN*JUSTRELˬX ORSITBˬCK WHEN*DONOTKNOWWHˬTTHEHELL*ˬMDOING &VERYDˬYISSOMETHINGNEWˬNm WHˬTDOYOUEXPECTFROMYOURSELF WHENYOUmREEXPECTINGTHISˬLLTOCOMENˬTURˬLLY BECˬUSEYOUSEEOTHERSDOINGITSOHˬPPILY ORWHˬTLOOKSLIKESOMETHINGHˬPPY BUTˬCTUˬLLY *BETTHEYmREˬLSOWONDERINGWHOSELIFETHEYWOKEUPIN ˬNDWHENTHEIRFEˬRWILLENDˬNDTHEMˬSTERYOFMOTHERHOODWILLSLIPIN 8HˬTCˬNWEEXPECT WHENOUTBIGGESTDEFECT ISTHˬTWESUSPECT THEREISSOMEHOWSOMEWˬYTOPˬRENTPERFECT *HˬDNOIDEˬWHˬTTOEXPECTBEFORE*WˬSEXPECTING Takelya Benton read this piece at last year's Listen to Your Mother spoken-word event. Hear more readings on motherhood at this year's show, May 11, Barrymore Theatre. barrymorelive.com. Find more Mother's Day events on BRAVAmagazine.com!