we throw our complaints
she listens and tries to comfort
we don’t want to be comforted
we want to keep talking
so we do
as she stares and listens
and then we leave
not realizing
that our poisonous words
have just housed themselves
in her

she’s the mother
she just carries
and swallows
and smiles

as we carry on
living and complaining
breaking and crying
she stays standing
and lifts us when we’re low
without breathing a word
about the weight she’s carrying
on her back