Removed from you,
I hear your words more clearly.
You failed to understand me,
You neglected to comprehend my lack of questions
For the one from whose tribulations I was born.
What understanding could I have of myself-
When I failed to understand who I am?
And yet- my love removed- see this:
See the woman-
still wet from birth-
Look upon me with swollen eyes
And say goodbye.
See this woman embrace her child-
For all too short one silent moment-
And say goodbye.
Do I feel her pain today-
Or was there any there at all?
What does she think of me today-
Or does she think of me at all?
What right do I have to invade her life
To awaken her present to the wounds of her past?
Hers was the choice-
not mine.
Hers was the loss-
not mine.
Hers was the sacrifice-
not mine-
Not me.
So do not question me when I do not question myself.
Oft’ times I shall wonder but ne’r shall I intrude.
Old wounds have healed and in my hand the knife shall not turn.
I was embraced by others
While she said her goodbyes.
I have been loved by others
Since she relinquished her ties.
You make me laugh as I sit here alone,
You make me wonder-
Could you ever understand who I am?
—
All words and photographs by Damien B. Donnelly
