Dedication from a Mother to her Young
From a white sheet shielding myself from my own glistening insides; a 4lb thing was held aloft. Whisked away for rubbing, checking; so tiny he couldn't breathe unaided.
He mewed, quiet but strong, like a kitten. We named him Felix.
I am a mother tiger, or a cat
You might have met him.
He’s deep, hilarious, ridiculous.
We mostly get on fine.
Sometimes we know what the other is thinking
(him: making stuff, me: dinner)
He gives me ideas and bizarre suggestions.
I am a mother axolotl or a starfish
So fierce is my love it throws me.
I am a mother lion, or a bear
He winds me up like crazy with his incessant chatter
His selective deafness
Mess
Unfathomable defiance of sleep.
I am a mother owl or a dormouse
His level of questioning is intense.
What is Energy?
Why do people believe in god?
What do eyeballs taste like?
I am a mother crow or a squirrel
We tried it, the eye lick. The verdict?
Gross.
I want to preserve his freedom, his spontaneity, his adoration of life.
I am a mother chimp, or a panda
Now though, he applies my make up with grubby fingers liberally to his face and mine
And dances me dervish-like through the kitchen to songs I would never choose.
I am a mother stoat or a rattlesnake
I watch with amazement, amusement, as he becomes the person he is becoming. Holding his small, dirty hand in mine, I smile.
I am a mother unicorn, or a chimera
photo credit: Carl Newland
