But A Moment
Oh mother, mother dear
Today you lost a chance to see
Really see into your child’s heart
A chance to look and connect with her
A chance to look and see all she was saying
All she was not saying
You were distracted
Again
Chatting to a friend
Plotting ‘me’ time
It did not include
It did exclude
Are Children…
Such a trial?
Such a bore?
Not enough?
She risked a scolding
Stealing into a garden
To bring you a bright blue bloom
You did see –
But ‘that’s nice’ wedged between words for your friend
Was not enough
She needed you, your eyes and hers
Together
She needed your knee to bend,
Heads together
She needed you to see what she saw in that sea of blue
Wonder together
She needed you to take in her face and the joy of it all
Moments together
She needed you to connect, enthuse,
To breathless, join her in childhood wonder
She had something to teach you in that moment
Something only she can find
In that moment
But a moment
Is all it would cost you
Satisfied, she would move on
Your friend could wait
This moment would not
It is lost
Gone forever
You will never have that chance again
There may be others
Brief chances to catch up with her before
She enters her butterfly changes
Then
She may pass you by…
Not giving you a moment
Words and Pictures © Denise Stanford 2010
Within the Vine 