One of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory

(for those who thought that life was fair at all.)

what if,

out of shame of having a baby who's father is unknown to you.

And out of fear of telling your folks,

your Dad, ex military, who has an iron knee

and thinks the osteopath  a  communist;

who flies a flag on Columbus day

and marches full uniform in

veterans parades. So out of the

greatest pain and terror, you leave

it somewhere safe. At the firehouse

door or on the stairs of the parish.

And homeless people come by

thinking it's a bag of food or a bundle

of shoes. But the authorities

find out that it was you who had

given birth all along. A little girl

with the same wry smile as yours,

who splayed her fingers suddenly

as you did. But all the time you've

stayed up nights without eating or

sleeping just thinking what had happened,

what you've done. Is she safe?

Is she in the loving arms of someone kind?

So you have a change of heart and decide

today to be a mother. But now you

have to petition the court where an old man

decides if your fit enough to care or unfit not to.

But not for one f****n second

did you ever stop.

Author's Note

30 poems in 5 days

Reviews

[Beccy]

There is a delicacy to this, that makes it all the more powerful.

I cannot begin to imagine the pain a mother would go through under such circumstances. As a single mum, I am fortunate, in that I am surrounded by loving family and friends, and thus well insulated, (though not insular.) I know there can be reasons; just as I also know that for a mother to stop caring is a biological impossibility, no matter the face shown to the rest of, the world.

A moving poem, that touched me deeply.


Beccy.

[Ed Hart]

...to think (but then, who does, being young and all)

my dearless mother tried to flush her newborn son down the toilet, and later let her manfriend put cigarettes out on his flesh...it took a while to become a poet

[h d e rushin]

Wow Ed...And what a poet you've become sir.....dana

[Corset]

You write this mother's heartache so beautifully.

[Saddam]

Its amazing by you, 30 in just 5, Great achievement.

The poem is very interesting dear hope that rest will be also interesting. keep it up dear.