Roots - A Poem
Like the branch that had been ripped away too soon
Thrown out with the storm of life
My roots were lost to the wind the day you left
I tried to bury the essence deep
Never forgetting, keeping your image burned on the inside of my eyelids
Like a scar I never wanted to be rid of
30 years on I look for you in every female face I see
Every colour, every creed
I search for the eyes that say
‘I know you child’
I carry you with every step, every thought, with every waking moment
At night, when the darkness folds over me like a blanket
My mind tells me you are here again.
The word ‘mother’ slipping from my lips like an ancient incantation
Willing you into my world again
Your roots are strong, they curl around my heart
Keeping me safe
I will hold onto them tight,
Watch, wait for you, as the lines crease my eyes
And the grace of age flows over my face
