You are born fighting,
born crying,
born gasping for want of more.
You learn to hide it -
not well mind you -
but enough that people don’t see a gaping maw when they pause to look
(though they rarely do).
More and more,
you seek and you hide,
and it is never enough.
It will never be enough.
My dearest one,
please stop turning your head away
from my open, willing offerings.
I’m sorry that they’re silent and not that good,
but I’ve always hoped they would be enough.
I’ve always hoped I would be enough.















