“The Joys of Motherhood” (Poetry)

From this corner office my mind drifts away,
To a beautiful, sun-soaked, summer day.
This was the day when my daughter first smiled,
And tears filled my eyes as I held my child.
And when she smiled, how my heart erupted;
Those blue eyes twinkled, oh how I loved it!

Then comes the thought of my daughter’s first step,
Just one step, then she fell, but my heart leapt!
With loving arms, I scooped up my baby,
Twirled around the room with my little lady.
Her steps had numbered a million shortly,
But the first was the best, at least for me.

And bittersweet was her first day of school.
I was so worried that she would be cool.
I thought she would have one or the other-
Either excitement or tears for her mother.
Somehow both she was able to manage,
As through the tears she had such courage.

In her wedding gown as she walked the aisle,
And lighted the church with her lovely smile-
She looked through tears to his eyes, said, “I do,”
And, “to you, my love, I’ll always be true.”
This day is better than all of the rest,
Her wedding day is the one I love best!

I thought that giving birth would my life end,
But I’ve been haunted by what might have been.
I traded real life for another sort,
Joy for regret when I chose to abort.
My life ended along with hers it seems,
These joys of motherhood are only dreams.

O what a wretched choice I made that day,
I would undo it if there were a way.
If I could go back, to term I would carry,
So my baby could smile, walk, learn, and marry.
In singleness and career, there is no good
That could compare to the joys of motherhood.