By herself! A poem

I wrote this poem 13 years ago in response to how lonely my mother was looking since I had moved. It has little anger but also understanding too.

Yes, I know that she is scared. It’s the first time she has walked alone in awhile. The first time in 24 years that she hasn’t gotten up early to make me breaky and kick me out the door to school or Grandma’s.

This is the first time in alone time that she had to walk alone and learn to be single again. She doesn’t have to ask a zillion questions or how to keep another person functional. She can now have her days to herself and do what she wants to do.

Sorry if she looks a little lost but after shouldering the burden of being a damn good single parent all this time, she adjusting to her new normal. So please don’t think she mopping in the house or around town, she configuring on the concept of being fully alone again.

Sure all parents get empty nest syndrome but in most cases their are two instead of one! She was the one who made sure I was feed and there were no monsters under my bed. She gave me a faith in God and made sure I got education. Because she could of easily aborted me back then but she didn’t, she raised me instead.

She gave me a home and piles of clothes and a dog which came from a shiny new Peterbilt. She nursed me back from sickness and cheered me from the sidelines. It has been her and I for all these years and now we are both lost.

Sure you think she has sheltered me but where were you to include us in things?! We had our share trouble and maybe it didn’t spread like wildfire through town like most gossip does but I did give her a few grey hairs.

She hasn’t been by herself in along time but please stop making it sound like she trapped. She has to redefine who ‘Anne’ is now not who ‘Anne’ was then. Her steps might be shaky but her spirit isn’t.

It’s her first trip alone in awhile don’t make it worse than it is thank you but she has her support from me, her family and friends. If you can see her new sparkle then you don’t deserve her at all!