The Son

I imagine he'd be beautiful,
strong in body like his father,
strong in spirit like his mother,
strong willed like us both.

I imagine he'd be generous,
helping hands for all around him,
saving the world one by one,
making me so proud.

Of course he'd be athletic
how could he not be
following in the footsteps
of his parents?

He'd meet challenges head on
and never know a stranger.
He'd have the courage of a lion
and the heart of his mother.

He'd graduate this May
and head off somewhere to college
where he'd show the world his brilliance
and work toward his success.

And he'd return to care for me,
his aging, lonely mother
who would never be alone
thanks to the son she had conceived.

On this day more than any other, I am reminded of the child that I carried who left before I knew him but not before my hopes and dreams for him solidified. It's not his birthday or the day I lost him that stand out after 17 years, it is Mother's Day that hurts the most.