Take a moment
color and paint
draw her hand
see the colors
through her eyes
listen to her voice
and repeat what she knows
even if it is wrong
let go
that need to always be right.

Talk and laugh
draw a house
and let your pathetic drawings
straight out of second grade
that you have not improved on
resemble a child’s.

Mothers call
and call and call
she will never stop
she still wants to know
my meals, my moves.

Will we ever stop calling
and shouting at our kids?
We want them to stop
the screaming
the running water
the dirty shoes in the house
the need to wash hair
the importance of vegetables
the creative ways of saying no
the giving in to chocolates
the guilt of working
the guilt of not working
no
we will never stop
as long as our mothers
never stop
and their mothers before them
until one day there is silence
and you wish
no, you regret
ever feeling so needy
so spoiled
so guilty
that all you want is to hear that phone
and that question
did you eat?
because truly
only a mother cares
(about what you ate).