Open Door (Poetry)

Whatever you might think of me, my angel
Whatever things they’ve told you, my sweet dove
Motherhood’s a dangerous occupation
hormones mess with reason — as does love

And I never claimed to be the perfect parent
it may sound lame to say I did my best
for the first ten years I thought I’d really cracked it
but I may have got complacent I confess

Right up until your teens you’d been no trouble
and some would say I’d had an easy ride
I guess I really should have seen it coming
but wisdom is with hindsight best applied

I never got a chance to fight my corner
you upped and ran without a thought for me
it’s still a shock that you could be so ruthless
and with no regrets abandon family

I’ve struggled to make sense of it, my dear one
the wound that bears your name is ever-raw
whatever you were told the truth is waiting
and I am here beside an open door