Over the phone her voice, sweet and brown,
suggested that she was once again, clean.
It is always like this after she crawls
out from grey gutter and begins speaking
again. She forgets I read her cries
when she was too little to speak.
I know nuances as well as I knew them
on nights when I woke to her hungry cry.
Her language is thinly laced with denial
I was hoping would be drained with last bottle,
last snort, last prick of her magic potions
she suckles on now. My breasts rise
wanting to reassure her. Her truth is sealed
with a thousand little lies she tells us all.
I don’t reply for when I disagree
she will condemn me for not listening.
Author notes
Always one to keep me humble.
In a list
A contest entry
- Personal by Melissa Gayle.
575 points, ended February 6, 2007, 14 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
-
Oh honey. Children are blessing and curses at times.
This is filled with a mother's love and understanding but also with an immense sense of hopelessness that overwhelms me. I do hope that the this has changed for you. -
-
Ty Melissa, things change as she does.... I feel it but can not get caught up in her chaos...right now...she is managing.
-
-
"I don’t reply for when I disagree
she will condemn me for not listening."
Sighhh...I'm sorry you wrote this so well, my Sister...
-
-
Oh, as much as she can quote me, I can quote her..... *smile*
-
-
a mother's feeling well expressed...
-
-
ty nilav, oh yes, I feel it for sure...
-
-
A great piece sister...and I know where this is coming from. We are mothers and it is hard to not be involved, but there comes a time when we need to just look away.
Soulful Woman
-
-
Aw, looking away...am I the only mother who ahs run away? *grins wickedly* We lose such awesome things...lol
-
Adding your comment:
1 - 9 of 9
