Mother

My daughter needed space to exercise her agency after an encounter with her bully at a birthday party. And I needed an empty page to process, to release. 

I watched 
as she knelt to sit
between her friends
then from behind
came shouting
ah-ah-ah-ah
like a machine gun
not words
just sounds
an attack
through the air
next a push
on her left
spinning her
to the right
her seat taken 

by the bully
but she wanted to stay
to find her place
to not miss out
to navigate alone
to choose what to forgive.

I returned to my car
and I took
my head in my hands

and I cried.