Mother, mother 
when I left you
did you realize 
that all those years 
would lead us to a dead end? 

You gave me everything from the start 
but nothing in the end. 

Nights came full of frustration 
followed by days of disappointment, 
hours of mind-numbing waiting, 
unanswered calls 
confirmed I wasn’t worth 
the effort giving. 

You gave me everything, 
and nothing at all. 

You gave me everything to build me up 
yet nothing to sustain me. 
You took my youth– 
what was supposed to be 
a direct road up to the cliff’s edge, 
a dream to build a life upon that started on a late afternoon 
but ended before the last call. 

You settled on karaoke songs played in a college town pub, 
a low ceiling and wood paneling at the bottom of the stairs. 
I kept my eyes on witty one liners and bouquets of flowers. 

Our hands never belonged in each other’s palms, 
our hearts never spoke to each other anyway. 

You gave me everything, and nothing at all. 

This flower peeked through the pavement seeking the sun, 
to be plucked by one who could save my soul. 
No water, no sun, no song could make me dance along. 

You gave me everything, and nothing at all.