My Mother Said

A Poem

My mother said to me

that there is no way that

you can be the love of my life,

as I have not yet

had the taste

of what life has to offer.

Therefore I cannot know

what love has to offer.

You have only given me the taste

of corrupted innocence,

with a dash of betrayal

and heartache.

Amongst that

you’ve given me

memories I cannot seem

to get rid of,

no matter how many sad songs I skip

on my playlist,

or restaurants I avoid.

My mother said to me

that love is going to hurt,

but not as much as you have

hurt me.

Life has a lot to offer,

and it’s given you to me

to teach me

what love should and

shouldn’t be.

Love should not deliberately

lie and cheat,

and if love hurts me

it doesn’t do it

intentionally.

My mother said that love

is wonderful, kind and

nurturing.

My mother said that love

is truthful, honest,

and respectful to you

and supportive

of your dreams

and aspirations; no matter

how silly and unrealistic

they can be.

Something you were most of the time,

but never all the time

especially towards

the end.

My mother said ‘that's okay,

because you were young

and learning,

but you were learning to love

by hurting me.

This makes so sense

to me

because how can someone

hurt the one

they love?

Love should be wonderful, kind,

honest, supportive and

nurturing

all the time.

My mother said love should

even be like this

during the times when

love isn’t always feeling

like the sun is shining

because love will do

anything and everything

in its control

to know that you’re loved.

My mother said you

can’t be the love

of my life,

because my life

has had yet to begin.

I argued with her and said

that my life began

with you,

as you were the

first love

of my life.

My mother then said

‘yes, yes that’s true’.

‘But just because

he’s your first,

doesn’t mean

he’s going to be

the last love.

She made me question

how my life begun

and if my life truly

began the second

I fell in love

with you,

but that was when I realized,

love only begun

the second

you walked away,

teaching me

that I am

the love of my life.

And for whatever reason,

that was enough.