For a Mother

Their silvery laughter
Follows you in your dreams;
A sad wish, a fantasy
Of what might have been.

A motherly smile
As you watch phantoms play
Your dreams hide the grief
That you feel through the day.

You wanted a family
But all you have is this;
A dream of ghost-children
Whom you sorely miss.

Your love for them
Was special, truly meant
It’s a small part of them
That doesn’t have to be dreamt.

Because you carry them with you
In dreams bittersweet
Imagine them taking
First steps on small feet.

When you wake in the morning
The dream-children fade
As a sound intrudes;
A tiny child’s wail.

You hold her with love
And remember with pain
You never thought you’d risk
Motherhood again.

But you’re glad that you did
And you will not forget
The dream-children you lost
Or the guilt that you felt.

But you came to see
The fault wasn’t yours
Nature is cruel;
Her system is flawed.

To break one special bond
Between mother and child
Is truly abominable
And yet, we still smile.

Because life goes on
Despite all the pain.
And I know you’ll hear
Childish laughter again.