Then the other morning as I was feeling irritable at the toothpaste splatters on my bathroom mirror, I decided that mess wasn't anything to be cranky about; one day when my nest is empty, I will miss it. Later I read the writing prompt at Wordsmith Studio: "What You'll Miss."
I love synchronicity. And from it, the below (rough draft of a) poem was born.
 |
| Empty Nest Syndrome and a Clean Bathroom Mirror |
Shells Left in the Nest
I strain through tired
eyes and toothpaste-
splattered mirror to understand
how you have grown
from toddling babbler to spilling
teen, tall with confidence
for all you have become,
then shying away from all you are
not yet. Oh, beautiful trail-
maker, paper scraps dotting
the roads you’ve traveled, stirring
up grumbles from deep within
me. But in ten, I’m pretty sure I’ll be
longing to pick up your messes,
attempting to hide
I’m a mess
that you are gone.
eyes and toothpaste-
splattered mirror to understand
how you have grown
from toddling babbler to spilling
teen, tall with confidence
for all you have become,
then shying away from all you are
not yet. Oh, beautiful trail-
maker, paper scraps dotting
the roads you’ve traveled, stirring
up grumbles from deep within
me. But in ten, I’m pretty sure I’ll be
longing to pick up your messes,
attempting to hide
I’m a mess
that you are gone.
*****
I love this Linda! Still don't miss the messes, but miss seeing my son (25) and daughter (27) more.
ReplyDeleteAaww . . . thank you so much, Patti! Of course I will be happy for my kids when they go out on their own. I will do my crying in private. :-D
DeleteI love this, Linda. It's a habit of mine to remind myself when things are happening to be in the moment, knowing when it's gone I'll miss it.
ReplyDeleteI like that habit, Kasie. It reminds me of something I've done over the years when moments seemed mundane, but were special in their own way. I stopped and told myself I would remember that moment forever. (Especially helpful when I didn't have a camera!)
DeleteThanks for stopping by (and for the prompt).