you were always

Mythical.

A place I longed to be

A harbor in the storm

Heck–flowers and chocolate!

Go no distance to describe

The way these stem cells of each

Her babies carry her

As she and they 

Grow up

Her eldest may lodge 

In her vision 

Her youngest in her chest

And each in between

Find places in her blood and bone to

Insinuate their eternal

DNA into hers

You might call them sneaky

But she will call them all

Dear–

Dear to stay

When each day she fears

This child will be too soon

“A grown-assed man, Mom!”

(Sic)

And she will compress and fold

Each memory of her babies

In the laugh lines

Around her eyes.