POETRY BY KATHY BOECHER©

Did you know on that first day?
Was it apparent to you, just how much I needed you?
For nine months I++ rested snuggly inside of you,
Hearing the ever present beating of your heart,
Soon it grew fainter, but still I had you close to me,
Did you know on that first day?
That I would now become totally dependent on you,
For shelter,
For comfort,
For love,
For guidance, and yet,
In those early months you were also teaching me to be independent,
You gave me the gift of life,
With no limitations,
You set the bar and I followed,
As time went by, did you know?
That with each step, each adventure, each new beginning,
I held you close within,
You were the driving force in all that I did,
I wanted so hard to please you, yet I didn’t have to try,
You loved with unconditional love,
Undeserved at times,
Unrequited often,
Unselfish always,
Did you know that I heard every argument?
Did you know that I blamed myself?
Did you know that I couldn’t have gotten through most of my early life without you?
Did you know that I was testing your love each time I fought you?
I wanted boundaries,
I wanted guidelines,
I wanted rules,
Yet I also wanted to break them,
Did you know how proud I was of every thing you did?
You were so beautiful, so kind, so loving,
How could I not be proud of that?
Did you know that I cheered for you when things didn’t go your way?
Did you know that you were my greatest hero in life?
Did you know that even in your last hours,
I could still feel the beating of your failing heart as part of mine?
You have been gone for a long time now, but you live on,
Not in just a memory, but in the legacy you’ve left me,
The women of steel that came from your line continues,
You live on through them and through me,
Did you know, I will always love you?