Stairs
When you were little You fell down the stairs.
I was right there.
It happened so fast.
One moment crawling near me,
The next, you sat up and simply
toppled to the side. I scrambled to follow,
Reaching out, trying to grab
your little arm to arrest
the downward motion. You hit the bottom
and started to cry,
And moments later,I was right there.
I picked you up. I felt your limbs. I held you close until your tears And my heart Slowed down.
This time I did not see
When the fall began.
Already four steps down
you were, but still I stretched my arm as far as I could. You would not take it. You called it “bad faith.”
Now I’m watching,
helpless again
As you fall down the stairsThis time yelling at me all the way
To let you go.
April, 2023
Powerful and heartbreaking.
When the children we love more than life itself are brainwashed and their vulnerabilities are exploited and they turn against us as they are going down a path of destruction, it is a parents worst nightmare.
This made me cry so hard because it is so true. And somehow they have convinced our kids and themselves that the parent is abusive if they tried to prevent the fall, hateful if they try to catch you and didn’t try hard enough if you fell all the way and got hurt. Sobbing right now. I want to hug every single parent out there right who is doing their best. I know you are doing everything you can. Don’t give up.