I am not a helicopter
though I am nosy,
wanting him to do it on his own
but then leaning into him later
like a reporter.
I am pushy and positive,
as I imagine it might feel
to be mothered
by Tony Robbins.
I am mostly kind
and sometimes exhausted
and funnier on the weekends.
I have lots of ideas about parenting
but I am often unsure
which is the best one to use,
like they are seasonings
and I am still learning to cook.
But today I was clear.
I was a bear,
just like the kind
they warn you about
on the trail.
There are times to let your child fend,
and there are times to defend him.
I didn’t need to wonder this time,
it just happened,
I was reunited with my wildness,
that fearless animal inside me,
ten feet tall
who knew without a doubt
she was fierce enough
to protect
her cub.