He eagerly takes flight.
Off on his own
Spreading his wings
The freedom feels so right.
Not just for him
But also me does freedom taste so sweet.
No longer will my time be spent
On food for him to eat.
I’ll find my own
And fly and sing
Without another’s cares
Weighing down, trapping me
In the pull of parental snares.
But as I revel in my joy
This freedom gladly brings
I feel a weight deep in my heart.
And worry enters in.
Does he know how
To spread his wings
And soar above the clouds?
Is he prepared to leave the nest?
My head swims with these doubts.
What will I do anyway
With these new wings of mine?
I’ve known no other task but this
His identity is mine.
Confusion swirls and fogs my view
How is he flying now?
Perhaps he needs me.
Should I go?
And force him back somehow?
Then I recall the feel of flight
That rush of aptitude
That came from spreading out my wings
And trying what was new.
How can I deny him this?
The joy that comes from growth
I know that I must let him go
But still, I worry so.
My mind goes back
To ages past
When children had to leave
To learn and grow, away from home
And fly on their own wings.
And I feel settled once again
Watching my fledgling fly.
It’s hard to watch him struggle now
But now I understand why.
If I had kept him in the nest,
What could he have become?
Nothing more than what he was
A fledgling. Halted. Stopped.
But he is more than a little bird
Far more than what is seen
For deep within him yearning to soar
Is the eagle he’s meant to be.
That was a beautiful heartfelt poem; thanks for sharing it.