Out Like a Lamb

How to Not Have My Mother

I suppose
how to not have my mother
is being born
and waiting for a womb.

I grew accustomed
to whatever she could offer
the beginning and the end
composing
all the middles

         When she got me
         I was neither cute nor copycat
         I never grew into what she
         kept on calling normal

         and

         When I killed her
         indirectly
         we were fighting it was
         nothing like a murder it was
         somehow slower

In the time between the two
we played mom and
daughter poorly it was
panned by all the critics

I suppose
how to not have my mother
is growing up
and waiting to be raised.


note ▼

April 7—Figure something out in a poem