LET ME FILL IN
Let me fill in, for just the space of
One poem,
As the mother who tells you:
You are Perfect.
You are exactly as you were meant to be.
You are a physical manifestation of Divine delight.
Let me fill in, just for the time being,
For those who should have said these things to you;
For those who perhaps would say these things to you,
If given the chance.
It doesn’t matter to me if you are a boy who loves boys,
A girl who loves girls,
Or even someone who just simply LOVES.
It doesn’t matter to me if you were birthed as one gender
But your soul can only fly as another.
Let me fill in, just in case it’s what you need,
As the one for whom none of that matters.
My mothering heart is big and aches for you.
I want you to know that if you were mine,
I would hold you and comfort you and tell you that all will
be well.
Maybe your mother or father didn’t say these things to you.
Maybe they couldn’t see you because their fear or prejudice
got in the way.
Maybe they would say these things, but your fear got in the
way.
Maybe they just don’t understand.
Let me fill in, though I know it’s a poor substitution,
For the adults who didn’t stand for you when they should
have,
Whose own path was too narrow to help you on yours.
If you were mine,
You would never for a minute think that you were less than
whole.
I may not be just like you, or always understand you, but
I would fight with my superpower of tender-mama-fierceness
for your right to be you.
Let me fill in the holes left
After the weak hurtful words were said
By the bullies who sought to ease their own pain
By inflicting it upon you.
I would fill those bruised and empty spaces in you
With light and love and magical mystical mom hugs
That would somehow make it all alright again and forever.
Let me fill in, until your someone can take over,
Or until your spirit, so strong and free and brave,
Can be all that you need to soar.
I am here. I see
you.
I honor all that you
Spectacularly
And beautifully are.
There are so many more of us than you know,
Loving you, cheering for you, valuing you.
It will be better one day.
You will be fine.
And until then,
We will try to fill in, if we can.
--Monica Clark-Robinson, 2013
