Free Lunch--Poem, Judith Valente, "The Book of 55,000 Baby Names"

Other Poets/Other Poems

Anonymous, Issue 17

Antler, Issue 36

Amy Beeder, Issue 16

Boyd W. Bensen, Issue 31

Donna Biffar, Issue 15

Kimberly Blaeser, Issue 27

P. W. Boisvert, Issue 39

Rick Cannon, Issue 28

Jared Carter, Issue 24

David Chorlton, Issue 40

Billy Collins, Issue 1, Issue 18

Steven Coughlin, Issue 39

Philip Dacey, Issue 6

Denise Duhamel, Issue 13

Stephen Dunn, Issue 34

Stuart Dybek, Issue 41

Dave Etter, Issue 14

Norma Hammond, Issue 22

David Hernandez, Issue 23

Susan Holahan, Issue 12

Angela Just, Issue 32

Lisa Kadous, Issue 20

Julie King, Issue 30

Lyn Lifshin, Issue 19

Mary Lucina, Issue 26

Louis McKee, Issue 5

Pamela Miller, Issue 8

Lisel Mueller, Issue 29

Alexis Orgera, Issue 35

James Reiss, Issue 26

Len Roberts, Issue 2

Kristopher Saknussemm, Issue 10

R. T. Smith, Issue 38

Cathy Song, Issue 21

Judith Valente, Issue 37

Charles Harper Webb, Issue 25

Mary Ann Waters, Issue 11

J. D. Whitney, Issue 33

Bayla Winters, Issue 3

Lila Zeiger, Issue 4

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Judith Valente
Issue 37 Spring 2007

The Book of 55,000 Baby Names

Some, like the Inoa, look for long-gone
ancestors to send a message in a dream or vision.

Hopis place a husk of corn next to an infant's ear
and wait for inspiration, while Tutsis pair

names to conditions at hand. Abena means arrived
on Thursday. Iniko: born in troubled times.

My step daughter Rachel, awaiting her first, plumbs pages
of The Book of 55 ,000 Baby Names. This tome traces

how Emily and Emma climbed to the top of the roster,
waving their pom poms like long-legged cheerleaders,

and marks the year people embraced madras, but tired of John,
began the long march to Aidan, Ian, and Sean.

Rachel (named for no one in particular)
settles on Ava (Portuguese for grandmother),

Number 31 this year: classic, but not common
with its hint of the first woman.

Some babies still enter this world nameless,
like the newborn preemie, dark-haired, restless,

lying next to Ava in the neo natal ward,
no blue balloons, no crayoned name on his 10 card.

He punches the air with a balled fist, then lifts
his swaddled bottom. Name him Adia, Swahili for gift.