The Hollow in my Arms

(One for the Murphys)

The perspective of Toni Connors- a mother, who tries to be a mom.

I was supposed to be your shelter,
Your arms, your shield, your steady ground.
But I let the storm come through our door,
And left you lost, not safe, not sound.

I thought I knew what love should be-
A roof, a laugh, a meal, a song.
But bruises bloom where silence lives,
And silence, child, is where I went wrong.

They say you’re with the Murphys now,
A name that feels too warm, too kind.
They see in you what I ignored-
The fire, the wit, that brilliant mind.

You smile in pictures, soft and wide,
Your hair not wild like it had been.
A mother’s love in someone else-
Someone who, at this job, excels.

Because she gave you what I lost,
A second chance, a safer day.
She saw the light I failed to guard-
And gently helped you find your way.

Still, I ache when I remember
The way you used to reach for me.
But now you run without a glance,
And maybe that is how it’s meant to be.

They call you brave-
I know it’s true.
You learned to bloom where I had failed.
You held your heart above the tide,
While I- your mother-only sailed.

And if you whisper “Mom” to her,
It breaks me... but I understand.
You found a home where love is loud-
Not just a touch, but a steady hand.