My daughters are gone
They walked away with long legs
When they came with short spindly legs
that kicked randomly
they could not support themselves.
For food they wailed
I was at their beckon call
I was their arms and legs
Wails satisfied
My arms wrapped them up
I lulled them to sleep
Following another busy night,
in
the middle of the day
thoughts scattered
as my eyes burned
Another night
to soothe their little bodies
I bathed them
each
evening
in
tepid
water
Rubbed warm lotion
on their spindly arms and legs
I wiped their tears and held them near my breast
Their arms and legs grew
They don't recall
The random kicking
The wails
The wrapping of my arms
Lulled to sleep
The middle of the day
The warm baths
The lotion
Only tears
so they walked away with long legs.
April 2009
