Germination

• Evelyn Huang, Grade 7
• Poetry
• 2022

You watched, as I grew from a burbling baby,
To a girl with burnet-red fluff nestled on my head,
Then a lass with flowing russet locks,
But with all these changes, you still shook off the 'maybe'.

Until I hopped off to school, my too-big bag draped,
You watched with a fond smile, waving from the car door,
You promised that you'd 'be here waiting' for me,
But deep in your heart, it ached for the baby now reshaped.

You loved me, this is true, and yet you wept,
For I moved from home and found a job,
I begun to drink and find boys, and cover my body with art,
Until I finally snapped that I was not 'in your debt',

And you watched, as I grew from a miniature rose to a thorned being.