"Mother's Clone"

 

cradled gently in her arms   

Mother bends her head close to Child   

her finger feathers the pure smooth cheek     

her hair becomes a sheltering shield   

protecting them from prying eyes   

in syncopation Mother and Child breathe   

one without the womb   

Mother’s eyes mist as Child’s hair darkens   

her mouth becomes a rigid line     

when bluish eyes turn brown   

her voice takes on ice     

when others note differences   

in syncopation Mother and Child breathe   

one without the womb   

Mother’s heart hardens   

her Child wields her wayward will   

with terrible temper tantrums   

fists and teeth and legs fighting   

struggling against Mother’s programming   

in syncopation Mother and Child breathe   

one without the womb   

desperation drives Mother’s dissatisfaction   

she tethers Child with demands   

her fears feed phobias and fictional afflictions   

her disappointment distorts her love   

her rejection rips through Child   

in syncopation Mother and Child breathe   

one without the womb

Mother and Child stab and wound   

pushing and pulling in tangled bindings   

never severing the umbilical cord   

they dance in macabre madness   

enmeshed and ensnared within their love-hate trap   

in syncopation Mother and Child breathe   

one without the womb

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Daughter-in-law"

Independent and intelligent  
she offers him unlimited love—no strings attached  
she has no hidden agenda  
she’s guileless as she wades into the water  
unaware of currents that will toss her aside or pull her under  
instinctively, she fights against the undertow  
taps into her endless energy as she swims toward the farthest shore  
drawing him with her in her wake  
offering him firmer footing on the opposite bank  
Resourceful and resolute  
she opens her heart to him—believes in him  
she focuses on their life together   
she’s naïve as they begin to build a bridge  
believing they’ll be met half way, linking and reconnecting  
but flash flooding upstream destroys their efforts  
ripping away the incomplete structure, tearing away their progress  
sapping her strength and snapping his ties  
they cling together on the distant shore  
Unwavering and understanding  
she stands with him—unites her life with his  
she trusts his constancy  
she’s accepting of his assurances of calmer water ahead  
hope persuades her to test the river again  
but rapids downstream leave her cut and bruised  
cultivating a cynical disbelief in ever reaching the other side  
withdrawing protectively back to the river’s edge, she stands   
turning her back to the other shore forever  

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Heart of Stone"

The promise of forever died     
with a single call from you.     
Seems no matter how hard I tried,       
there was nothing I could do.     
Our clumsy steps fell out of sync     
before the dance had ended.     
I could only stare and blink     
when you felt so offended.     
I know my feelings grew too fast,    
that I scared you with my plans.     
You did not want our love to last,     
to get so quickly out of hand.     
I knew from the moment we met     
that you could destroy my heart.     
My determination was set—     
nothing would keep us apart.     
I counted on your affection     
being equal to my own.     
Now I know upon reflection     
that your heart is made of stone!   

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Ambition"

David Chapman-artist

His ambition 

fascinated her—a reflection 

of her own drive  

for ultimate   

control in answering only to   

her own wishes. 

He drew her in 

with his passionate promises 

whispered in bed 

  

while her husband 

and children slept in innocence 

and ignorance. 

On moon filled nights 

she pledged her bright future to him, 

desperately 

clinging to him. 

Crumbling her disillusionment 

within her fist. 

Wagering all 

against a bid for happiness 

with a new life 

centered on him. 

She counted on his commitment 

to her—for them, 

to bind old wounds 

and invent a life together 

without heartache. 

Year drifts to year 

as her love grows, but his wavers 

and then retreats 

back to control 

of his own life and ambitions. 

He abandons 

her for himself. 

His selfishness now a mirror 

for her sorrow. 

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Forgiven"

 

David Chapman-artist

If I told you you’re forgiven for all the pain you’ve brought me,  

you’d shake your head in doubt and deny your culpability.  

If I absolved you from all the sins you’ve shamelessly committed, 

you’d raise your finger in defiance, with no crimes admitted. 

If I pardoned all the lies you’ve told to keep me in your life, 

you’d smirk haughtily in triumph and continue with your strife. 

If I turn the other cheek to heal from wounds you created, 

you’d laugh wickedly in my face; you’d cruelly be elated. 

If I don’t excuse the injustices you’ve done through the years,  

you’d wrap me within your evil web; you’d bind me with your fears.  

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman