Frailty

I fear frailty in myself and others
I watch and wait for signs
that show I’m following in my mother’s
footsteps as she declines

I watch and wait for signs
that prove I still have what it takes
Mother’s faltering footsteps haunt me as she declines
insecurities slither around me like snakes

why do I need to prove I still have what it takes
should I smother or try to uncover
insecurities that relentlessly hiss you’re a fake
it won’t happen overnight, I need time to recover

why bother to smother or uncover
all the physical and psychic pains and aches
it won’t happen fast, I need time to recover
after all, these are high stakes

all the physical and psychic pains and aches
show I’m following my mother
after all, these are high stakes
I fear frailty in myself and others

Christy Schwan is a native Hoosier farm kid, rock hound, wild berry picker, wildflower seeker, astronomy studier, and quiet sports lover of kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing and loon spotting. Her preferred writing studio is a treehouse-level screened porch sheltered from mosquito swarms in northern Wisconsin.