after acquainting myself with Robert Burns’, ‘A Poet’s Welcome to his Love-Begotten Daughter’ (published 1801)

1: Upon a Child Leaving Home

In our parting exchange, before the door opens and the world calls

Out to you, I refuse to break, so forsake nothing more than this

Let the world wrap arms around you like a parent presented with a gift

Let the world wrap arms around me like a specialist healing the hurt

Let the best people befriend you, the best lovers leave you well

Let the best friends sustain me, the best memories yield my bad

Let the thinkers you consider, writers you read, influencers you follow inspire

Let the wisdom I strive for, words I wrestle with, moon I worship console

Let the seas sail you to safe shores, the skies raise you to new horizons

Let the hard roads and the high, drive me from the emptiness of home

Let your first years be as wild as your clothes, haircuts, piercings and parties

Let my later years end the crises generations of recklessness have fuelled

Let your last goodbye be more than a surrendering of my loss

Let my last goodbye be more than an admission of your freedom

Let the wonders to come welcome your curiosity as you go far, go big

Let the hardships ahead abandon me as I wait patiently for your return

2: A Poet’s Lament

What desolation it is for a parent to endure the absence of a child, wake

to a ticking clock, find its echo outlasts the morning, cry out this in the dark

Let me bear once more the first time, newborn, you were delivered into this space

Let me relive again the miracle of your milestones: first tooth, first word, first step …

Let me re-enter the room where you no longer sleep, seek solace in its repose

Let me settle upon the images of you (glimpses of growth) that rest upon its walls

Let me rekindle your birthdays, candles freshly lit, gifts waiting to be unwrapped

Let me replay the wonder of this imaginative fun: I-spy; tag; hide-and-seek; Snap! …

Let me press the button on your replica sonic screwdriver to hear you emit afresh

“Let me unlock the Perception Filter for you.” Through all impossible incarnations,

Let me regenerate as your companion, time-traveller, as you save us from collapse

Let me reawaken as your disciple of antiquity so, like Hades and Pluto, I defy loss

Let me open the books stored here, recall the plot twists we shared before light-outs

Let me return to your coming out story, meet your new partner again. In such revelation,

Let my withdraw. Close the door upon our past. Turn back to the clock, cry out anew

Let darkness disappear, let all be surrendered, so I can outlast the echo of what’s left

Judges’ comments: A poem in conversation with Robert Burns’ ‘A Poet’s Welcome to his Love-Begotten Daughter’ that offers a thoughtful reflection on parenthood, filled with longing and a few well-placed observations. The poet uses format and repetition to great effect; the long couplets command attention and look great on the page.