Push.
I've changed my mind.
I don't want to do this.
You have to.
Push.
Tears fall as she enters my world with a wail.
Twenty years and twenty days
spun around a semi-circle
to a difficult place
where letting go is expected
but bittersweet.
Now in a mountain cow-town where
she's sprouted wings, and
I'm supposed to return empty-nested:
I struggle. Not because I want
to keep her from her destiny,
but because I may not know my own.
After my biggest role -
playing mom for half my years
plus two - who am I?
It is time for new discoveries
and paths for each of us.
I stand in her postage stamp
kitchen wanting to help.
I open my mouth to speak
but gape like the open cupboard doors
and swallow my advice so
she will forge ahead.
Push.
Push.
I've changed my mind.
I don't want to do this.
You have to
let go… tears fall and
for a moment I unfurl
as I leave, having delivered
her to her own world.
I busted this draft out during my lunch today. I'm sure I will make some changes, but this is it for now. This was another suggested topic from Read Write Poem. Check it out and see what everyone else did as well.
9 comments:
Oh my... how heart-rending. I could really feel this and I am not even a parent!
You describe it so beautifully the ache and pull many parents are feeling right now- seeing their kids off to college.
I liked what you said about having to find your own destiny now... it's so true.
Just lovely- thank you.
Loved the poem but you know what they say? They say: Once a Mum...
love the stanza in the kitchen--the open cupboards and the open mouth!
i'm keeping my son home forever...(there's a poem attesting to that on my blog around mothers day!)
Beautiful! The love really comes through. And the coming full circle, the same and yet different, nicely done.
What a touching poem!
Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting too, I really really appreciate it!
Wonderful honesty and the repetition is great. I enjoyed this.
I suppose now I understand how my mom feels...
irrationality
I don't think the first two verses need any more work. They are perfect. I love the twenty years and twenty days around a semi-circle.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hey, we're voting on how to proceed with editing chainpoem #2 over at ThePoCo. You'll see my comment on the post asking people how we should proceed with the edits. Go, go! Vote, vote!
Hi.
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