The Mother of Adaly

Dani Carter

I've always been a bit out of touch.
But when it comes to my family we don't have such
Things that are shiny or top dollar price.
You're lucky if you get anything nice.
We came from the dirt but we are the seed.

My mother struggled to give us good.
Things that young kids like me never understood,
The things I got the world took back
And the tears from my mother grew in stacks.
Of bills not of money that our greediness as children couldn't pay.

Now as I'm older I thank her for what she has done.
For the price she has paid she doesn't have to run.
Now my darling is being created.
My Adaly dear, her arrival has long been awaited
For only 5 months along she has little to her name.

Adaly doesn't know what she has or does not.
These lessons we have will not go untaught.
From the inside, I hope she can't hear me cry
But one day she'll thank me when she knows why.
People who pride upon what they have made it harder to handle.

Being only still young in my adulthood life.
People don't seem to know that I am a wife.
Harder to rely on a man on part-time
When being too big isn't worth the dime
To pay when people don't like to look your way.

I've lost the chance to thank you before
But I plan to show the world what for.
I'd never wish this life that I made,
To wait for me until I have greyed.
I'd never take back my Adaly dear.

Eyes stare at her but she doesn't know
And she isn't giving me that pregnancy glow.
Though all of you judge with your angry eyes.
You just don't know that I'm grateful for this prize.
She is my miracle, my new, better, life.

My husband holds her, though it's just kicks
He wants to teach her magnificent tricks.
Those eyes that stare he shoots them down with a kiss
On my forehead and stomach, he's my shooting star wish.
The world doesn't know that we wished for this.

Adaly dear, I hope she can hear
That the world is cruel and hard to bear.
But your mother and father are here to stay
Till the world, cruel enough, takes our breath away.
We will watch over you even after.

The world is gonna take
For her to get what we didn't, we had to make.
Starting off with hands empty,
We will give her plenty
Of the things that may or not be new.
They say to me "are you sure this is what you wanna do?"

Twisting and turning and fumbling around
She doesn't know which way is down.
Instinct tells her when to kick and touch
But yet she can't tell which is which or how much.
From animals to color and safe or danger.
I'll do what a parent does and try to save her.

As a Mother with no father of her own, not even a step.
I've learned from them that drugs are a trap.
though drugs are now the world they tore us apart.
Stealing and beating they made us restart.
Now neither dads or a home it's time to start our life alone.

7 to 5:30, my mother works to provide.
Us as kids ask for more and our greediness, yet again, doesn't hide.
But tears roll down her face when she has to tell us "No"
She has always been the only one who paid for us to grow.
Through it all, she gives her best and smiles,
She knows what she is doing is worth the walking miles.

As I am now older I see she grows lone
And sometimes she dreams of a cold headstone.
She planted a seed in the dirt herself
And grew the family tree even though she fell from the highest shelf.
I just wish that my daughter will one day bring her joy.

Adaly my dear, I still hope you can hear.
Though we speak in rhyme I'm not Shakespeare.
I'm your mother, your guide, your whatever you want
But don't take the material things and taunt.
There are others like us with not much to their name.

Your grandmother struggled for the roof over our head.
She fought really hard to give us even a bed.
But if you so choose,
To give up and lose,
You'll struggle just as we did for you.

So darling take these in pride.
Take this piece of paper to make wings to glide.
Take this old rag to sew up a new dress.
Take all our old and make new, you will not stress.
Take all these struggles and burn stars into the sky.

Ask yourself "will I be proud?
Of all of these things, people threw in the crowd?
These things I took and kept for my feelings.
While all of those people are killed for their dealings?
I should be proud" you'll say "a pure life"

Your grandmother's' tree grew sad and was dying
Until you came along and showed love undenying.
Now you can make flowers
From the seeds, we gave our lives for and had coward.
I can't wait to see you in all of your glory.

I'll give you the world as my mother did for me.
You'll climb high mountains and swim in the sea
But promise you won't shove these things in a face
Because the world will still take and leave without a trace.
Just promise us please, you'll water the tree.