Letting Go

Margaret V.Doran

        The pain of letting go runs deep
        And I must practice carefully
        If my daughters I would keep

        The emotional cost is very steep
        It's true that in reality
        The pain of letting go runs deep

        I must smile, I must not weep
        I must be strong indubitably
        If my daughters I would keep

        With them gone it's hard to sleep
        Because I worry for, you see,
        The pain of letting go runs deep

        Yet I must stay serene to reap
        Their trust (but not incredibly)
        If my daughters I would keep

        So to keep from crumbling in a heap
        Joy I practice carefully
        The pain of letting go runs deep
        But my daughters I will keep.

Copyright © 1997 Margaret V. Doran All rights reserved.
If you enjoyed this poem, please send her an e-mail here.

This poem was written in response to "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop. The form is called a "Villanelle."
Read more villanelles here: Fifth Brigade | Janet | Kids | Love Song

Updated July 7, 1999
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