Beloved

I shouldn’t be here

Situations of my birth improbable

Named for the one who really gave me life

The love my mother had for me was palpable

Too strong

Life almost taken back like a bad gift

“Too strong” turned into cold steel

“Too strong” turned into “Hold still”

“Too strong” met too real

“Too strong” couldn’t deal

Deal with the danger

Deal with the resurgent of memories

I was a reminder of what we left behind

Of how we made it out

Of who we came to be

And see

And meet once again

I lost my mother to an old friend

She lost herself to my new friend

“Too strong” came back to play

But changed the rules and the game

Roles reversed in the end

The dependent becomes the one on whom they depend

I have to stay here