Opened his mind to the belief that he mattered,
But was shamed and put down before siblings and visitors,
Nor praised or noticed in his attempts to impress; -
Wondered why he, who could think and feel,
Was ignored as a character, but reared as a consumer.
11. ‘Desiderata, dear...’
The eleventh is raised in a shaky environment,
Because work and marriage have their ups and downs.
Now the welcome home is not there for any
And family life is a few tense hours
Of unfunny home truths and heart-stopping taunts,
When you feel you miss a beat - only to catch it later
From some vented frustration or scrambled complaint.
A misunderstood prey to guilt, you find
You are always in the dock, testifying against yourself:
Your judge has fallen victim to his heart’s insecurity
And he suspects your surliness, knows you for a risk.
Trust would only pander to your outrageous demand
To be respected for yourself and grow to fullness.
Surely the money he earns buys your self-respect:
He brings home the bacon with your name written on it -
AS you take a language of occupational hazard.
Divorce may strain consensus about child rearing,
Tearing you between parents, as you save what shreds
Of example Dad set you, before Mum left him
To mould in scorn the mother-son relationship -
A cold-war casting in imperious bronze.