Baby Girl

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I can only imagine what was going through her mind

That made her leave her baby-girl behind

Was it because the father was in some way unkind?

Or was there someone else she had to find?

Without nurturing or love as a secure base

How would she learn to fit in with the human race?

A few months later another baby girl was born

Mom decided to keep this one, she wasn’t torn

The lost relationship, society should mourn

When the sign of mother is selectively worn

You might ask what happened to that first child?

Dealt with abuse and neglect would be putting it mild

Living with blood relations called strangers or neighbors almost forgotten

To be seen by all, but never heard, though viewed as rotten

The taught her that being bad was the only way to get their attention

Because unless she was cooking or cleaning, her name was never mentioned

Whether stripped naked or made to sleep under the bed

Was there any wonder that she wished they were all dead

Confused about life she joined the military

Only added to the baggage she thought she’d always carry

What she didn’t know was that the woman who gave birth to her wasn’t a mother

On the phone at 41 she heard this secret which was like no other

The father, though just as guilty, his thoughts were always clear

It was from her, the truth, which she wanted to hear

Not the greatest story to tell before bed

In reality sometimes the truth is better left unsaid.

by Deborah McCreath Akbar