You son has small feet.

The first word he ever learned to spell

was ‘exile’
On his first day of high school he

came back wondering why he

wasn’t like the other boys. 
Why did you tell him to run faster?
Look at him now, all grown

and beautiful – foolishly thinking we

can’t feel the lonely in his speech.
Who betrayed you? 
Your love is intense and some will run from it.

feeling it is like swimming in hot wax. 
They should have said you were enough.

Instead we lie under the same sun digging

our feet into the sand heavy with shame.