For My Mother

You brought me here in spades
From then to now, I’ve grown less excited
With the sun dangling on its string
But every moment is a killer and resuscitator

My heroes came before my time
Or perished while my back was turned
I can’t look up in the sky and retain hope
But courage can be found if you dig deeper

I’ve grown attached to the expressions
On faces that tell a thousand stories
And when, not if, age grabs me from behind
I’ll recall the one who gave it all for nothing
Or the one who laughed when all was at a close
Or the one who broke at the sight of their love
Or the one who lived well after death

I’ll leave here in the shadows and the ash
Just like someone I knew from a distance
But I thank you for molding my clay
And cradling my poor soul
If not for what was given
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