I remember all too well
The 3am roars of agony
That brought you into this world
Etched upon my body and soul
Are the scars that boar you
And gave you this life
I gave you this life
I. Gave. You. Life.
To give means the giver no longer owns that which she gives
But it takes many mistakes to understand this truth
I gave you life and here are the rules
You will live according to my standards
My morals
You will add value to the world in ways that I can be proud of
You will follow the path that I lay out for you
Become the person that I want you to be
My outlook was broken
You were broken
Seeing that which I love so fiercely
Laying down with the black dog
Made me realise
Here is a match my darling boy
Set the rule book ablaze!
From the smouldering ashes
Let only one remain
Be happy my love
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Author:
jenny.g (
Offline) - Published: March 10th, 2022 12:35
- Comment from author about the poem: Watching my son go through depression for a short period of time made me realise that the ideals I had around the person I wanted him to be and how I wanted him to live were pointless and damaging. All I really wanted was his happiness and I’ll support whatever path he chooses.
- Category: Reflection
- Views: 16
- Users favorite of this poem: darknessandlight
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Comments2
Your words are so powerful. Having a son and daughter who are now early 50"s I realize that that the path each took was the path they made for themselves. My mother felt the need to guide my life in so many ways that I retreated from that playbook and supported what my kids did. It's never easy to let go. What a wonderful and brave poem of self reflection.
Thank you very much for your kind words.
The change a parent should undergo as their offspring grows and develops is well mapped here.
"should' but sometimes does not...... To the detriment of the son or daughter.
Further, given today's social and financial arrangements it becomes increasingly difficult for young adults to leave the nest and individuate.
A write with heart in it Thanks.
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