Childish hands, curly hair,
Disney princess dress,
Knobby knees bisecting skinny legs,
Dirty feet with painted toes.
Tired eyes, silly laughter,
Little arms embrace as sleep draws near;
Snoring sweet from mouth petite,
Foster parents adoring by her bed.
Wooden benches, legal laptops,
Suited lawyers, judicial decrees;
Family services, juvenile offices,
Birth mother’s rights restored.
Childish hands, curly hair
Gentle voice with loud, juicy lisp,
Knobby knees and gleaming eyes,
Taken away to another home.
Empty hallways, echoing bedrooms,
Backyard filled with abandoned toys;
Car seat vacant, souls are barren,
Foster parents bereft of joy.
The sadness in this poem is palpable. How very hard for the foster parents. One can only hope that the bio parents have become more responsible....and that the best thing that happened to the child is the return home.
ReplyDeleteOh Joshua, so sad. I have cared for foster kids for years and the leavings are so very hard. Know you loved them well, showed them what a happy joyous home can be, and that will live in the hearts forever. They will always remember. I pray that mother is ready to nurture them well. Do you still have the same email address, Joshua? I emailed you last week.......my email is WildWoman2@shaw.ca. I hope soon your home is full of children again......though I know your hearts must wonder if they can handle loving and losing again. Trust me, hearts are made of elastic and there are so many children who need love.
ReplyDeleteSuch sadness when bonds are broken to rebuild others.. Somehow I think we can never know what's right... I hope it becomes right anyway despite the sorrow of the breakup
ReplyDeleteit's always saddening to hear of such happenings..in the end we hope that the child gets the best care and gets to have a happy childhood.
ReplyDeleteThe contrasts work so effectively here...oh that she were to be able to stay safe and warm and cared for
ReplyDeletesuch tearful lines...
ReplyDeleteVery sad impression created in words. That separation all on a moment of decision making; the fragmented love, ripped apart..A delicate subject, never given much consideration..
ReplyDeleteEileen
Well written and expressed.
ReplyDeleteZQ
A very sensitive piece. I read an article about a young man pleading to adopt him :(
ReplyDeletecould be a metaphor of letting go of childhood toys