Child of Mine

Parenthood can be harsh.

Child of Mine

It seems you will awaken

only for my obituary.

You condemn my living flesh

with such slick ease.

Castigate my every move

as though you were the parent

and I the errant child;

role reversal.

Nothing I do is good enough

and yet she who left you

in my brutal charge

for decades

is now your saviour,

to be worshiped

and beatified,

whereas I am denigrated

for having a soul

and for allowing the blood

from my mortal wounds

to spill upon your carpet.

 

02/11/14

Author's Note

Reviews

[The Black Warrior]

This is deep, can't say that I relate to this for I am not a parent yet, but it is well said

BTW...I love Guns N Roses!

Thank you for sharing!

~SUK

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you Suk for your review.

[The Black Warrior]

You are very welcome!

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

It's a curse I can not relate to - a lesson to be learned

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Indeed Thomas but most of the time a joy. Many thanks.

[Lyn Anderson]

There is a twist sometimes in parenting that the one who did all the heavy lifting becomes the enemy as the child grows up and cleaves to the other parent. I fear this fate.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Both my children have gone to London to live with their mother despite her leaving them aged 6 and 4 for me to bring up while she led the high life. Thanks 'M'

[icelandicblue]

So often in the parental roles one takes on the good guy and the other the bad guy...go to school, have a curfew, do your homework, write a thank you letter, eat your vegetables and no you can't date yet. This makes it even harder when someone who hasn't been there for the tough love comes back. I truly think that when a child has a child of his or her own all those sins of the caretaker get washed away because they can see the world through those eyes of yours. We are human, we do the best we can, we love the best we can and so at some point the child will realize why that tough love was tough on the parent too and perhaps even be able to acknowledge the sacrifices and hardships weathered on behalf of that child. Problem is it doesn't happen overnight.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I understand and many thanks for such a considered review IB.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

when you have to be the one to discipline them, to guide them...you become the bad guy...

i remember being young, in high school, headstrong...thought my parents were the worst...

bitched about them constantly...thought they hated me because they set limitations...because they had expectations i had to live up to...

in my older days i have come to appreciate all of that which they did.

and someday..hopefully not too late...there will be that appreciation.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

My daughter is 23 so not a child Jacob. But we always make up in the end. Many thanks.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i am glad to hear that, John.

i still had a rebellious nature towards them in my twenties...so i understand.

[MomzillaNC]

Wow… I've seen so many parents going through this very thing. It's so hard and you never have the words or advice to help them. Powerfully penned.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Painfully penned. Many thanks.