Photo by Ben Blennerhassett on Unsplash
I know if it had happened to her
She wouldn’t tell me–
*
My mother, like a vault of secrets
Holding her self close
So as to not have it torn away.
*
She walks in the independence
And the fear
Of someone who has never had someone to lean on,
Learning to weigh little
A leaf on the wind
So that what she carries will not weigh her down.
*
Instead, she floats
Untethered
No ship to provide her safe harbor
But free–
Owner of her own cargo, anchored to no one
*
Except me
Comments (9)
I love this, so eloquent and expressive 😁
Well Written My Dear
Anchored to no one, except me. I loved that line a lot! Such a beautiful poem!
Wonderfully written!
That quiet strength, silently & calmly facing whatever trials & tribulations address, & whatever "it" is (that you left it undefined doesn't keep my mind from going to extremely dark places; it perhaps leaves it feeling a little more sickly & uncomfortable in my stomach & being than naming it would have), tethered only to that which matters most. Hauntingly, painfully beautiful.
This is simultaneously a beautiful glimpse of a strong woman and also a sad realization that she'll probably never know the relief that can come with sharing the weight of her secrets and pain... really lovely work, Joelle!
Lots of emotion in this. A wonderful piece, Joelle!
“Untethered but free” so much weight in these words. Beautiful and heartbreaking piece– it gave me all of the emotions. 💫
This is some deep stuff and quite sad, I think, in some ways. Well done, Joelle!