I decided long ago to be a mother
To have a baby of my own
The woes of motherhood, obscured
The trials and tribulations unknown
The tiny thing, so pink and soft
Instantly captured my heart
Emotionally and mentally
I was invested from the start
Clinging for safety and nurture
The baby gripped my breast
From morning to night
Comfortable in my arm’s youthful nest.
With a tender touch I was the guide
Through scrapes, bruises and fears
Failures and successes
Boyfriends and tears
Driver’s license, new car
Graduation and cheers
And the years passed with speed
The once clingy baby
The product of my seed,
Was ready for life, and left
Into the world far away
Never looking back
To see if I was okay.
I stand alone now
The cord ripped from my womb
Will I be useful again?
Before they place me in my tomb.
Maybe one day my child will understand
When a baby will appear in her heart
The role I played in her life
Was my life’s best part.
And, as the circle of life
Will become clear and shear
When her child, too, walks away
I pray to God
She will be okay.

JUDY FISCHER is a Montrealer by love and choice. She is the author of He Fell from the sky and Missy Loves René, two books published in the last two years.