independence

we took him

today on his first

forest expedition

on dad’s back

down through the

second growth and

along the deer trails

where the cepes

and ferns grows

over to the Davis creek

rocks where he

fell asleep and

we all sighed and

dipped our feet in

the icy water

Reviews

[Eilis]

This reminds me of parenting my kids when they were babies and toddlers. Both of my children were high needs—my daughter cried pretty solidly the first five months and never napped through those first few years unless we were in the car or I was holding her. My son wouldn’t tolerate being away from me and I had to create various carriers to make sure I could function as an adult while also holding him. Neither of them ever liked being cared for by anyone else and so nursery school or babysitters were out of the question for many years. The pressure of that being constantly needed creates a strange tension within. You have this intense love and desire to care for the child but also this inner need to experience a freedom of movement. Or as the title denotes independence. This is where my mind went when reading.

Not sure if this is related to parenting a high needs child but it took me straight back to those days. Life goes and we move with it, within its bounds and do what is necessary to fulfill our roles. Sometimes the tension is palpable. Here it feels communal. The ‘we’ in the poem all understanding the significance of the moment. The young child on his first outing into the woods. Perhaps everyone wondering how it will be—it feels sort of ceremonial—and it’s like in tandem “we” all breathe. It’s a lovely little moment captured with an underlying tension that could signify many things. Firsts always seem to encompass a range of emotions. I feel you captured that here. And for me it just reminded me of those rare moments where, in the midst of the chaos, there is this peace.

[SkinlessFrank]

Yes, those intense moments of love and exhaustion that accompanied those years. I wonder if this is evolution’s price we must pay for having unusually large brains. In the spring when I watch a fledgling leave the nest alone, I think how sad and how normal. But what does the mother feel in moments like this.

[Ed Hart]

oh the moments, the moments that make everything else worth the while...the gods bless us, everyone

[. serah .]

~ wow... how very significant, substantial and profound is that... ~ and this piece also makes me want to think about my own progress and eventual independence... thanks so much for sharing, maestro d. ...