Love's Sweet Sorrow

In the moments of holding and

Letting you go

In the bittersweet beauty

Of watching you grow

I am becoming

More aware, somehow

And understanding slowly

My own mother now

In the moments twixt yesterday

And tomorrow

I sense the shaping

Of sweet, sweet sorrow

How does one explain

The ‘I love you so',

As you plead for 'yes’

While my answer is 'no’?

 In the moments of holding and

Letting you go

In the tender-sweet beauty

Of watching you grow

I have become

More aware, somehow

Understanding the sweet sorrow

Of my own mother now

© Janet Martin

Sometimes when trying to explain the logic behind my words to the kids I find myself echoing the words of my parents, such as recently, ‘it’s not the ‘thing’ I dislike so much as what it will lead to’…