A babe who had at my bequest
long been my warm womb's welcome guest,
one day decided to explore,
to quit the safety of my nest.

Confinement suited him no more
despite the depth of our rapport --
he felt the need to stretch and breathe,
and so my child this mother bore.

The world was waiting to receive
a boy to whom I longed to cleave --
for whom my womb had been a home,
but still I let him take his leave.

I know he is not mine alone,
nor does he live for me to own,
but even now that he has grown,
he knows my heart remains his home.