when you became a mother

you hadn’t a clue   you loved them
and knew   that at least   was true

in exhausted dreams
you feared you’d hit them   be cruel
treat them as your mother treated you
but you never did   and never wanted to

yes   you failed in many ways
you a child-mother   struggled
disrupted their lives   made bad decisions
but still   you loved without condition

today they recognise   challenged
by their own multi-complex lives
it’s hard to get it right   and you’re amazed
they aspire   to be a little like you
even   ask you for advice