The One Who Strays so far from home
Softly Silently She Cries
A Mother raises her babies and hopes that they make their way in life she teaches,
She cries over, she nurtures and she loves.
She send's them off into the world with false bravado
But it's always the one that stray's far from the nest that worries her the most.
Each Year she pray's for his return.
To hear the noise and the laughter and the fighting and arguing all in good fun
Their Sister's voice telling them to "hold in your stomach"
It never gets old, the loud "Oomph" as she doubles tiny fist's
A brutal punch and the whoosh of breath.
They always did it, she shakes her head
A ritual of Sibling's she guessed.
The squeal of Laughter as they held her head first
Threatening to drop her from the banister
The yell for Mom because she knows Mom would come running and chastise the Two.
Little hellion's she called them each, as she playfully swatted their head or cheeks.
Would this Mother's Day, mark another time, another Year that she could not have him home
Her sadness always apparent
when the other's gathered she always wait's in expectation for him
But again, he couldn't make it
He has a Family, and a first born to call his own
How she longed to hold and kiss her Grandson's cheek's
To let him know grandma loves him, dear
A tear fall's and she hurriedly wipes the evidence before the other's see her cry
They know her sadness, each and every Year
And try their best to make it so she doesn't cry
They argue and fight, and lovingly yell at each other just to make her smile again
They hide in closet's, and behind door's ajar
When she called for help in setting the table or helping prepare
So Childish she would chastise with a grin
as she finds their hiding places, that at least hadn't changed
She sighs deeply and takes one final look at the stone that marks each of her babies names
The door frame still mark's the height of each
She lovingly run's finger's over each name
Marking showing the height as they grew
Footsteps muffled by tall grass blades masked the sound of his approach
Gentle warm hands, not so tiny hands anymore
reaches down, and close lovingly
Over eyes saddened by thoughts of Yesteryear
A tender smile tickles the corner of her mouth, recognition dawns
With, an unladylike shriek of gladness
She turns to find the one that was always missing on occasions such as this
Her heart leaps with gladness, and she hugs him close
Her baby, her first born, had finally come home
It had been Year's since his homecoming
Each Year, her sadness more evident
He lived so far away, yet he is the one she longs for the most
She loved her Babies all three, all with equal merit
But, he was the one that she missed the most
The one who strayed so very far from the nest
For my Son Ismael, my love grows with every passage of the New Year.
