You are a sea
If your four week old screams at night turning lobster red,
If your 12 month old just won't let go of your hand,
If your 18 month old is still wanting to be breastfed,
If your two year old just will not play by herself,
If your three year old still ends the night in your bed.
If your four year old's whining just never ends,
Please remember that you are a sea, not a rock hard cliff.
You aren't a cliff to misshape their life and take that in your stride.
You aren't a cliff to not twitch a muscle on hearing their cries,
You aren't a cliff to resort to "I'm done, he can scream all he likes!"
You aren't a cliff to announce your stand and never look back.
You aren't a cliff to "Just do whatever the hell I say!"
You aren't a cliff to be sending your echo down their way.
You are a sea, and however hard those winds can blow,
Your waves will rock and nurture and soothe some more -
Even when "I am shattered beyond belief" and "This can't go on".
You are a sea, and your storms are entitled to hit your coast -
The safe place to throw off tremendous pressure built up in your soul,
The people to take the edge off emotions you can take no more.
You are a sea where there is no stone uncared for, unturned,
Even when waters turn black and waves are beating up into a foam,
Even when dirt and seaweed rise from the depths to the very top.
You are a sea, and you have more strength than you'll ever know,
Even if you are giving your all and they still want more.
Even if there's more than one and you're on your own.
You are a sea, and that means that the seasonal rains will end
To give way to blissful stillness, blue skies and to sunny days,
When you will relax in their company, not when escaping them.
You are a sea, no wonder your feelings are deep and bold,
What these depths can hold is a story that's yet to unfold,
And, of course, until you became a mother, you wouldn't have known.
You are a sea that's forever changing and never still,
But whatever the shade of your wave today and however you feel,
Please remember that you are a sea, not a cliff, my dear.
Tatiana Morina, 4 December 2020, originally written in Russian on 30.11.2020
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