Thursday, June 09, 2011

Going back to work


Today at 4:15 ~ dawn still dark~
I woke and fed my daughter,
then put her back to sleep.
I showered, dressed, and made myself up
so I could go
to an 8a.m. job interview.

I have to go back to work
and this new mama heart
can hardly balance the ache of leaving
my girl with the need to provide.

I watched her sleep~
this, the first morning I won't be here to greet
her tiny face when she wakes,
her smile filling my cup.




I know a mom
who rises early
to work at a dump
sorting trash
so she can feed her family.
Her harried existence
missing early morning smiles.
And yet missing the growing of her children,
does not lack the glow of sacrifice,
that fills her children's cup.

I don't pretend that my
going to work is anything
like this woman's daily
demonstration of selflessness.
But in the moments before I left,
I pumped my love into a bottle,
a cup that will feed~
and I think I knew what it meant
to exist to love.

**the above photo is used with permission and is the working mom of whom I write.

Linking up again this Thursday with Imperfect Prose...

6 comments:

Sarah said...

you are loved. ;-)

monica said...

I know that feeling. I am praying for you.

Mommy Emily said...

oh, this is so powerful... what a tender tribute to working mothers the world-over.

Katherine Krige said...

It is a hard moment to step into the world and feel the strings that bind you to your children stretch. I hope you get the new job & hope that you adjust well to the coming changes.

Callie said...

I know how you feel - it's so hard to not be there for them every second, but we do it so we can help provide for them - and that's important. Even as I say that, I have to remind myself of the same thing, because it's so hard to go to work and leave my baby! Praying for you.

Unknown said...

Beautifully expressed

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