Raging at the injustices of the day,
Too much homework, unwarranted grades,
“Who uses this stuff anyway?”
“Who uses this stuff anyway?”
“Mom, they made her cry,” she begins,
“She was lonely, sad, and all alone,
No one seemed to notice or care,
So, I went over and asked her to join.”
In a flurry, singing songs of her day,
Babbling on, chattering feverishly and free,
Throwing hands up, arms swinging wildly,
She exuberantly brushes right beyond me.
She tells the tales of her woe,
Then speaks of moments of gladness and joy,
I try desperately to take it all in,
But I am helplessly, hopelessly slow.
The whirlwind gradually passes,
She is weary, exhausted, spent,
Up the stairs, she sleeps finally in peace,
Lovely spirit; she is indeed Heaven-sent.
Watch her slumber, though she is unaware,
As I recall fondly the long-ago years,
When she was younger and oh-so-innocent,
Close my eyes and battle back the tears.
I once held her closely, cradled in my arms,
And rocked her slowly while she slept,
Kissed her forehead, touched her toes,
A perfect angel I was meant to protect.
It is Christmas and we are driving,
He is freezing, abandoned to the street,
“We have to help him. He is starving,
Can’t we just give him enough to eat?”
Don’t have much, but we oblige,
And still, it is not enough,
Money is not the answer,
“Mom, he needs a hug.”
She stoops to accept and embrace him,
Tears glistening brightly in her eyes,
He is taken aback, astounded,
The look of wonder and surprise.
She lingers, reluctant to leave,
But we must end this – what more can we do?
She has a million questions, so disturbed,
I want to answer – how I wish I knew.
And still, this homeless man haunts her,
Though many years have gone by,
She revisits, relives this moment,
Never leaves her, no matter the time.
Skip my memory, fast-forward,
She is in the yard, saving worms,
It is raining, and “they will drown,”
So, she helps them, as she has once sworn.
She’s in the bathroom, getting ready,
“Daddy, please help the bug,”
“Mommy, don’t kill the spider,”
So compassionate and full of love.
Elementary, middle, and high schools,
Academics, sports, and clubs,
Bumps, and bruises, and heartaches,
Somewhere along the line, she grew up.
Becoming the person she’ll one day be,
Separate thoughts, different views all her own,
Branching out from the old and familiar,
Stepping away from the world she has known.
I marvel at her grace and her beauty,
As I help her get ready for her first prom,
I am anxious and nervous, feel I’m losing her,
“He’s nice, so please don’t worry, Mom.”
Her bicycle gathers dust in the garage,
It has now been replaced by a car,
I prepare for the day she will leave us,
As we assess colleges both near and far.
Where is my little one, my child?
It seems like a dream, all a blur,
The young woman now standing before me,
Tells me time has flown swiftly and sure.
I bend down and whisper I love her,
Begrudgingly go back to my bed,
Hate to leave her and pray she is safe,
That we have many good days left ahead.
Morning breaks and the tempest begins,
She’s in a hurry, a bustling gust of wind,
But I am shouting, crying, sick, and drained,
Wishing illness away, I am at my wit’s end.
Silent and unsure, she enters the room,
No solutions or wisdom, nothing to discuss,
She rubs my back and embraces my shoulders,
She is sufficient – in this moment, more than enough.
