taking flight

grandniece will fly tomorrow

to her husband in Turkey

we can only send our love

and prayers for joy

in such a new adventure

if not through, then beside

weeping for my family

i cannot protect

i can no longer ‘kiss better’

sobbing for the pain and fear

i cannot absorb for them

knowing, remembering my own

longing to keep them from that harm

even understanding their strength

and that they must go through it alone

i can only stand beside or behind them

twisted gladness

watching the photos

of their cruise of the Greek islands

of their safari in Africaand tour of Maine

i am glad for them

they earned it with years of intense schooling

and weary hours of work at their careers

but a pinprick of something—

a longing perhaps—

twists my joy for them

as i remember our years of school and hanging on

hoping, dreaming—

and then you left