I.
Nine-month sentence for committing the crime--
repent, reform, re-habilitation:
Mother is released.

II.
A Mother is never alone,
thoughts of escape keep her company
like a bug in a jar.

III.
When the Mother left home,
Nobody blamed her.
When the Mother came home,
Nobody blamed her.
She wondered why?
Nobody blamed her.

IV.
The girl always dreamed
one day her prince would come.
The girl always dreamed
of happily ever after.
Her mother told her so.

V.
With hungry arms she sat
in the park watching the motley
smorgasbord of prams, bottles, and
rattles in the afternoon light as
voracious clouds threatened
her starving reverie
of Mother’s bounty.

VI.
When the tide came in,
the new moon landed.
Like a thief in the night,
it stole her ripe fruit.
She blossomed into Mother.

VII.
The house is cold.
Mother must be gone.

VIII.
The garden spits out weeds
and lets the vine discover
its way to the morning dew,
flourishing in Mother’s love.

IX.
The leaves challenged summer,
as it fluttered into autumn.
Winter called Mother’s name.

X.
Delegator of authority
Fabulous enforcer.
His word is law.
“Go ask your Mother!”

XI.
Hello!
Goodbye!
Do I like Mother’s visit?
Or the day Mother leaves?
Hello!
Goodbye!

XII.
Misplacing her memories next to her glasses,
she anticipates afternoon naps and calculated visits.
This is Mother?

XIII.
Mother watches the warring goslings
fighting in the marsh,
Then herds them to Seven-Eleven,
Conquering heroes