Los Angeles Times
"PIERRE, S.D. — Legislation meant to prompt a national legal battle targeting Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide, was approved Wednesday by the South Dakota Senate, moving the bill a step closer to final passage.
The measure, which would ban nearly all abortions in the state, now returns to the House, which passed a different version earlier. The House must decide whether to accept changes made by the Senate, which passed its version 23-12. "
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The Berry Baby Poem
On a cool day in May, in the light of the sun
Suzie L. Fahloozie was out having fun
She skipped and she jumped with her friend Gary Roy
And she hopped and she skotched as they both giggled with joy
"Hey Suzie", said Gary, "Guess what I found?,
Some little purple berries growing right outside town"
He took from his pocket and showed her with delight
Little purple berries, what an interesting sight
"What is it?" said suzy as she looked at it with glee
"I'm not quite sure, but here, try it and see"
So Suzie L. Fahloozie ate some of the berries
She enjoyed them so much, she gave some more back to Gary
They both ate all day long, it tasted so good
Suzie asked for more Berries, and Gary said next day that he would
Well The next morning suzie awoke with the sun
She couldn't wait to get outside and have still more fun
But as she arose and looked happily into the mirror
She noticed something odd, so she squinted quite much nearer
And there on her tummy, right in the very middle
was the tiniest of creatures, oh how it was so little!
"Oh my gosh!" cried Suzie with amazement and shock
"What is this thing on my tummy, where yesterday it was not!?"
Suzie was astounded, she could hardly even speak
"What if someone should see it? They'll think that I'm a freak!"
So Suzie stayed inside that day and the next
And the next and the next and the next and the next
A whole week went by, yet inside Suzie did stay
She was hoping that in time this creature would just go away
But it didn't, in fact, it only got bigger
What would Suzie do? What if someone should see her?
She needed some help she suddenly thought
So she quick phoned her friend, Gary Roy, all distrought
"Oh Gary", she cried, "Please you must help me!"
"Theres a tiny little creature growing on top of my belly!"
"Im sorry", said Gary, "Thats a terrible shame."
"But why did you call me, I'm not to blame!"
So Gary Hung up, and suzie began to cry
"Why oh God why oh God why oh God why!"
she yelled at the creature "Why are you growing so small on my tummy?"
and the creature replied back "Because, your my mommy!"
"You can talk! ", Suzie shouted. "Oh this is getting so much worse!
It's time for me to go see the Doctor and Nurse!"
Suzie grabbed up her jacket and and her shoes from the floor
She covered up her tummy, and ran out the door
When she got to the Doctor she told him so glum
of how she ate the strange berries and what grew on her tum
"Oh yes", said the doctor, "I'm afraid this has happened to others"
"You see those strange berries makes girls into mothers"
"And whats more, these babies start as small as a pin
And they grow on the outside instead of the in
We've had so many cases right here in our town
Of these outside berry babies we are starting to drown!"
"Oh my!" said Suzie. histerically, "What can I do?"
That depends, Says the doctor, the choice is with you
You can wait for nine months and then you'll be free
or I can kill it right now, for a nominal fee
"Kill it? Oh my!" said Suzie. "Oh my! said the child."
Don't worry, said the doctor as he spoke and he smiled.
But Suzie couldn't help it, she started to cry
And so did the baby, who said "But I don't want to die!"
"We can stop it now before it gets worse", the doctor did answer
But the baby said "please Doctor please, I'm a baby - not cancer!"
"Can I get some more advice?", said Suzie, "before I should choose?"
"Perhaps it would help to speak to others who are also in my shoes?"
So the nurse took Suzie across the hall to the berry baby ward
where groups of berry baby mothers and their berry babies were stored
The first mom, named Sherry, was so angry and so sad
She was stuck there in the hospital with her little berry baby lad
"Oh this berry baby", said sherry, "how it's so ruined my life!"
"I can't wait until it's cut off my tummy with a sharp and pointy knife!"
"How is it", asked suzie, "that he caused you so much trouble, sherry?"
"Because if it wasn't for him", she replied, "I could be out getting more berry!"
"And whats worse, I feel so unattractive when all the men see
this little baby berry growing outside of me
I could be at a movie, on a date, or shopping at the mall
If it wasn't for this little berry baby ruining it all!"
"And here's the worst part of everything thats happened yet
This little berry baby is starting to put me into debt!
Have you looked at the list of baby things that a mother must buy
If I do not choose to have my little berry baby die?!?"
"No", thought Suzie, "Now I know that the choice can be no other!
Besides, if I let it live, I'd probably be a terrible mother!
He would grow up poor, and I too, we'd both have a horrble life!
No my mind is simply made up...He must get the knife!"
As soon as Sherry finnished her complaint, her berry baby did cry
"Please Mommy Please Mommy- I don't want to die!""
"You say that now" said Sherry, "But what if you are born?
It's easy to want to live right now when your here safe and warm!"
"Theres nothing but heartahce and trouble and tears
That would be waiting for you for years and for years
Think of all the troubles, of all the pain that is in life
I'm just trying to avoid hurting you-by killing you with a knife."
"But mommy" said her berry baby "Why do it before we both should know?
What if my life is somehow bearable, what if still will want to grow!"
"If not, then bring me back here again to cut me with the knife,
For I'll risk that no matter how bad it is I'll still want to keep my life!"
"Hush now" said sherry "Speak no more, the choice is not up to you"
You have no right to keep your life, It is my choice only what to do!"
"You are far too small and tiny to know what you want at all"
"Who's ever heared of something making choices that was so small?"
"But please Mommy, listen yet once more and again I will speak,
For I know that I am small and tiny, It is true that I am weak
But thats why I have a mommy, to protect me from harm and from fear
Because I can not do it myself, I have my mommy near!"
"Please do not think because I'm small I can not wish to be
For even the smallest things in life do great things all can see"
"Look at the ants who build there hills, or bees inside their hive
Each day they live and work to grow and keep themselves alive"
"Yet both these creatures are very small, smaller even than me
But the desire they have to live and grow is plain for all to see
Even when I was very first formed, I did my very best
to live and grow, to get big and strong, from this I never rest!"
"So you can see my will is clear, I have purpose and I have form
And one day I will leave this place, even though it is safe and warm
I know that comfort is not all there is to my future life
but There is also Joy I'll learn of too if you save me from the knife"
"Mommy please, you are my mommy, can't you see I am already here
Do not be scared of being a bad mommy, for my existance is quite clear
I'm growing now because of you, I'm getting big and strong
I could not do this if I did not have my good mommy to help me along!"
"So Please Mommy Please Mommy, I ask again, save me from the danger
Save me from the big sharp knife being weilded by the stranger!"
"Don't let them take me away from you, I want to be with my mommy
I want to stay here and grow big and strong right upon your tummy!"
"I told you once already", said Sherry, "and I'll not tell you again."
"It is not up to you, it is my body, It does not belong to men!"
"For I am weaker by nature than males, and that is why its true
That a big strong government must protect my rights from the likes of you!"
Then the woman next to Sherry spoke up with a great shout
"Look at me, don't look at her, for my case is worse no doubt!"
"I have a terrible case, it's true, worse by far than she
Listen now my berry baby and I will tell you why the knife must be!"
"I have even more reasons still for which you should surely die
see I did not eat those berries by choice, in fact they made me cry!"
"A relative made me eat them at knifepoint despite all my will to not!
And you are only a reminder of that day, so I hope you both shall rot!"
"Thats horrible", said the child, "What horrible pain he brought you!"
"But I'm glad he didn't use a knife on you after he was through,
because I offer my love to heal you, its there for you each day
why do you want the doctor with the knife to take my love away?"
"Wait!" said a yet third woman, "There is still more I must tell
You see I have a special case that does not make me well!"
"If I should keep you all nine months and then let you be free
It's possible that I might die, oh what a horrible thing you see!"
"I have a very weakened heart which causes it to flit and fly!
And I must decide if I should kill you because I do not want to die!"
The child replied, "I did not know! how horrible! as she started to cry
Mommy I did not know, I do not want you or I to die!"
At that moment as Suzie was listening to this heated exchange,
tears began to fall on her cheek and she knelt her head in pain
All this time she had worried about her own pleasures and desire
How could her case compare to this, their circumstances were so dire!
But as she bent her head, a necklace fell out into view
A tiny figure on a cross dangeling down a few inches or two
The baby on Suzies tummy looked up and asked about the man upon the tree
"He's a man who died" said suzie "Just to save you and me"
"He prayed that if it were possible, he should not have to drink
the cup placed there before him, filled with rank and death and stink
but he drank of it anyway and gave his life so you and I might live
He showed us how to conquer death, and how to love and give"
"And now I know what my choice must be, I know what I must do
Because Life is a gift for me, I will give this gift to you!"
So Suzie told the doctor that she would keep her child
And nine months later she got her gift back in a little baby girls smile
One day Suzie met Sherry as she was passing on her way
She asked sherry how she was doing, and the choice she had made that day
Sherry looked down at Suzie's child and her face ran pale and cold
On this very day they met her child would have been one year old
"I had her killed, just as I said, but now I'm hollow inside
I wish sometimes that I could feel those words again and hear my baby cry"
What do you mean, suzie asked, and sherry replied with a sigh:
I wish my heart still felt like saying "But I don't want to die".
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