Saturday 25 August 2012

Be gentle with me


Lovingly massaging unscented oil into baby’s velvet skin
Kneading, ironing out soft wrinkles
She felt dream-like, 
as if she were caressing herself-
hypnotised with love
paralysed with fear
this angelic babe
sweating slightly,
heavy limbed was
totally dependent on her.
An hour had passed,
sweet baby scent perfumed the air
her tears mingled with oil
she had no idea who
gave who more
comfort.



***

The corset hugged her baby-bump
She was almost hour-glass again
the uniform black pinstripe
white shirt, red gloss,
hair or nails ~ but not both
lent her insane confidence.
An hour had passed,
the meeting in 
the airless room
had over run.
Through polished glass
she spotted a group of mothers
casual, laughing, free;
her breasts tingled with milk
for her baby
at home.
 
Copyright Suzy R 2012

The debate rolls on about working mothers, or stay at home mothers: what's best for baby, what's best for mum or indeed the whole family. My view is it's rarely that cut and dried; the reasons to work or not are purely personal and are influenced by an alarming array of factors.

So, this poem is really saying there is pain, depression, guilt on both sides of the fence. Sometimes, what feels like the absolute best decision today, can feel like an anchor round your neck, the next. Women, be kind to each other ~ being a mother is at once the most challenging yet rewarding blessings known to 'man'!

4 comments:

  1. def feel the connection in your words between mother and child and the encouragement that can pass between the two...and i know it is hard having to go to work...

    i am intrigued on which pic you used from dverse for this....

    ReplyDelete
  2. How very right you are. It's especially bad when women pit themselves against other women...no need for that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Full of emotion and the texture of the binding , heart ,breasts , home the whole debate has a lot of answers here

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you all for your comments: motherhood is so powerful and creative, it's saddens me that is can become a political battleground, perhaps it is this very power why is has become so.

    ReplyDelete