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NOT "MINE," NOT "MINE"
by W. Mahlon Purdin"Just born" rhymes with "adorn"
And too many write that verse
On their children the same way
Some farmers' sheep are shorn.
I make a salad with juicy bok choy
And relish the crunchy crispy succulence
But never think of children as
A kind of jewelry accessory; a toy.
Even as we say, "I too was like that"
We recreate them in our own image
Defeating their adventure to blossom as they are;
Make them thin, or stupid, dancers or fat.
Why not let them be of their true design;
And we, just the watchers, not the owners?
And we, faithful parents, not patterns:
"You can." "You can." Not "mine." Not "mine."
02/26/2007 Posted on 02/26/2007
Copyright © 2026 W. Mahlon Purdin
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Genevieve Sturrock on 02/26/07 at 04:13 PM Oh, how well said! my kids play soccer and too often i see parents turn away from their children when they do not perform up to standard. it's heart wrenching to see the kids walk away crushed. |
| Posted by Susan Q Tomas on 02/26/07 at 04:57 PM "Just Born" coupled with "adorn" makes me think of a Christmas carol. I am glad I read this. I haven't seen any parents treat their children like possessions in a long while. But maybe I need to look again. I usually think of this "children as possessions" in the setting of divorce. But I do know one person who tried to make his son a little him. Gave his son EXACTLY the same name as him, and coached him in the sports he excelled in. Sometimes it works, this time it didn't. There is a difference between forming a child and just watching them grow in wonder. I really liked this poem. It made me reflect. |
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