Like those nesting dolls
in graduated sizes
my sons became
encased each year
inside of bigger boys.
Now grown and sealed
inside tall men
they’re unaware
I still see through
a mother’s eyes
to all those younger little boys
still playing deep inside.
.
(c) 1992, 2014 Betty Hayes Albright
Seasonings 
As a mum of three grown men this poem touches me deeply. You have caught the essence of the child that no matter how deeply hidden is there playing , laughing and occasionally needing mother love. Beautifully written thanks for sharing.xxx
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Willow, I’m glad this one touched you – I think all us moms – and dads too – see in our grown children what no one else (including our grown kids) can ever see. 🙂 Thank you!
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You are so right there
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Very good Betty.
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Thank you, Dennis. (I know you prefer poems that rhyme so your comment means a lot to me!)
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I am the older sister of five brothers–often surrogate mother to the younger ones–and it’s absolutely true…..I can still see the little boy in the grown man…
The metaphor of a maryushka (sp.?) doll is brilliant!
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My Russian is lame, so I looked it up….it’s a “matryoshka” doll…I haven’t looked at it for a long time, but now I will…..and metaphorically!
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Thanks for the Russian term – “Matryoshka”! (You speak some Russian?? That’s a difficult language, isn’t it?) Thank you for both your kind comments. 🙂
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Wow, five brothers! I’m glad you appreciated the metaphor. It’s the only way I could describe the special viewpoint we have as parents – and in your case as an older sister.
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Wonderful way of expressing how we really see our children.
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Thanks very much, Charlie!
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This strikes, like a great bell, the truth of how life is. Our children delight and antagonize us until they grow into themselves/not themselves and are men–or women, I might add, having two daughters as well as a son, and then they are grown away from us while still being inside us. This is such a difficult concept to express, but you manage to do it with such simplicity here, Betty, that we end up absolutely surprised.
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Thomas, thank you as always for your thoughtful comment! Having only sons, I had to write it from that perspective but figured it’s the same with daughters. It always pleases me to hear from you – hope you’re doing well!
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Such a clever choice of metaphor Betty. I have a set of those dolls, brought home from Moscow. I shall look at them with new eyes now.
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Thank you John – glad you like the metaphor. (Cool that you have a set of genuine Russian dolls from Moscow. How long ago were you there?)
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Ten years ago Betty. I’ve just reread your poem, with pleasure again.
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yes, yes, yes !
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Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙂
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Beautiful!
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A belated thank you!
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I love this, Betty. I hope they appreciate just who they have for a mother.
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Thank you Ben – I’ve been fortunate, as both sons have turned out to be compassionate, unselfish, kind, generous men with great integrity. (Now in their 40’s.) Methinks I’ve learned just as much from them as they ever learned from me. My two step-sons have also taught me a great deal, in spite of my own failures.
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I think you can probably take some credit too, Betty.
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🙂
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I view my 27 year-old son in this same way and you have written about motherly love as I have never read before. A beautiful poem.
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Thank you again, Joanna – for this and all your other generous comments.
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