The Fledgling's Flight (A Poem)

Fledgling’s Flight

Our fledgling flew the coop early one January

So young and fresh from school

His offer not giving us time to grieve

His dad and I were not yet ready

Just two brief weeks home

Newly graduated,

No time to spend acclimating

Suddenly we’d be without him all alone

Nineteen, a child, a man so young,

Excited, but still a bit pensive

Thrust into adult realities

Though dying to say stay, I bit my tongue

Packing promptly began

His entire life in such little time

Boxes, tape, the pieces of all the years

Stuffed into boxes, into a moving van

In an instant he was gone

Down the road if his future

His dad, his helper, in tow

Mom watched them leave her all alone

Days and weeks followed

Keeping busy wasn’t too hard

Clean up and repurposing a room

Meaningless tasks that overflowed

No one warns a parent

Of phantom pains

As in loss of limbs

Moments, sensations, expectancies, now latent

No tears had been shed

Upon his quick departure

Pride in a child, no tears, no sorrow

Joy, in his courage, as his wings spread

Months pass until before he returned

Welcome home preparations, full throttle

Anticipation of a different and new man

His arrival back home, the thing I had so yearned

Four short days to spend to get our fill

And once again his departure loomed

Packed up yet again

He drove off once more, my tears began to spill

Remembering our son, as our young teen

Experiencing him, the man, as he had become

Our hearts swelled with pleasure and delight

Fears dispelled, replaced with peace, serene