Saturday, May 12, 2007

A Mother's Day Poem

Adoptee

There is a child who makes
the stars come out at night.
That's how a poem should start.
Don't say: we waited two years to adopt her
and then had only three days to drive
to the next town to bring her home,
like a dish to pass, just in time for Easter.

Don't say you never thought about racism
coming your way when you checked
a small box on a form. Interracial __ yes.
Say the love you imagined was only
a drop of rain in the ocean.
Say she is the light of day.
Say she is the speed of light.
Say she is the ground
on which angels play.
You play music; but she
is the music you play.
You sing; but she is the song.


Don't say you miss walking alone
with your husband every night,
tidying up the house, before slipping
into the bedroom to make love,
door
wide open--then sleeping
for a blessed eight hours.

Say she keeps us young and laughing
Say she teaches patience and understanding.
Say only this child could show you
what things in life are key.
Don't say: We miss our friends.
Say: she is our guru, our dharma.
our greatest blessing.
She makes the stars come out.

3 comments:

Zoe said...

Wow! That's a powerful poem - and more honest than the 'standard' ones thrown around at this time of year.

It touched something in me as I've been helping out at one of the Orphanages in Bangkok lately - whose sole aim it seems it to get the kids adopted abroad (as statistically Thai people dont tend to adopt Thai kids very much). The home like foreigners to come and play with the kids and make them less scared of 'non-Asian' faces, so they find the potential transition abroad easier.

Problem is, every time I go, there are more kids! Last count there were 200 under 5's (of which around 50 are new born babies)

Up in Ayutthaya there's a place with 1600 kids - and numbers growing every day! Reason could be that those kids are not allowed to be adopted by non-Thai families so hardly any seem to leave the home.

Its a deep and scary subject, adoption. It's made me reassess my feelings about having kids I must say...

Anonymous said...

Oh my little Lexy, I miss you so much!
I'm so proud of you.

Unknown said...

As expected, your imagery grows with your talent, E. Thank you for sharing all this and may lots of loving light continue to shine on you and your family. Mighty proud of you.

Love, S