The Guardian is a mother and daughter poem, a reflection on giving and receiving care and support.
The Guardian – Mother and Daughter Poem
With a black biro, she’s drawing
a wave on the white page
mapping Mom’s waverings.
She spots peaks and valleys and floods cutting through.
Like yesterday
before she buried a tablet in her clenched fist.
Aged ten,
she’s learned how to read from Pudgy the dog.
My dog is very smart, you know, she told Belle at school,
he can tell the future, you know.
Belle laughed her off
this is another one of your stupid ideas, Lea.
She didn’t mind,
she knew she could rely on Pudgy
who’d chew the rug or tug her by the leg
before each trip south.
Sometimes,
they’d all have a picnic and enjoy the view from the mountain top.