22 June 2019

This Wasn’t in the Parenting Handbook

His walls of sadness
surround him,
engulf him

An isolation of suffering
that threatens
to suffocate him

I have tried carefully chiseling
in every corner, every crevice

I have swung a sledgehammer 
until my muscles were sore

And for a time,
I might create an opening,
an escape

A way to allow 
laughter and happiness
to shine through the
now open cracks in his walls

But he is an expert builder
and he soon seals the walls
as strong, as sturdy as new

He seems far more skilled 
at masonry than I am
at demolition

Each time,
the walls seem taller,
thicker, more solid

Each time,
my arms ache more

But I continue 
to swing my hammer
with whatever strength 
still remains

Though I often
can’t tell if I am 
even making a dent 
in his walls


27 Apr 2019

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