Cutting Apron Strings

by Cheryl Merrick

Oh! The pain!
Doesn't she love me anymore?
How can he just ignore me?
Why doesn't she even call?

We were so close.
Have I done something wrong?
He passes by me as if I wasn't even there,
and spends his time with others.

Appreciating Differences

by Cheryl Merrick

Young, still focused
on myself
I naively, yearned for
reassurance of my worth
in sameness
by trying to remake
my husband, mother, children,
friends and neighbors
in my image

Now, many years later,
as I see my children
wanting to “improve” me.
I just smile and remember.

At last, accepting my own uniqueness,
I can finally truly appreciate
other’s differences
and thoroughly enjoy
just being me.

Wayward Child

by Cheryl Merrick

My heart aches for you
as I watch you
learn from your own experience
that wickedness never was happiness.

Feeling you suffer
the consequences of your acts,
I long to comfort you
but I cannot,
for in your quest for freedom
you have willfully stepped
off the only path
that could have brought
you happiness.

Training Wheels

by Cheryl Merrick

The training wheels,
barely touching now,
as you move farther away
into a home of your own.

The days of us shouting encouragement
and, occasionally, steadying the bike
are nearly over.

You now glide along as a couple.
On two wheels
you whiz around corners,
ably maneuvering the challenges of life.

Just you two,
growing stronger together,
as it is meant to be,
no longer needing
training wheels.

On Becoming a Star

by Cheryl Merrick

When my children were young,
they played in the protective warmth
of my morning sun.

Later, in my clear afternoon light,
I taught them endless lessons
on room cleaning and report writing.

Learning well,
they ventured from me.
The evening of adolescence had come.

Now, in a night sky I glow,
a distant beacon of light,
a constant of love,
a star,
guiding the way home.

It Is Enough

by Cheryl Merrick

We had been waiting for them to recognize
the depth of their love.
The moment came, and
He asked our daughter to marry him.
Now, he asks her father for our blessing.
Our quick affirmation leaves him wondering,
“Are they just anxious to marry off their daughter?
They don’t even know me.”
How can we explain to him?

Always a Mother

by Cheryl Merrick


They’re on their own.
You cheer them on as they manage their own lives-
getting an education, choosing a mate, 
making a living, and raising a family.
You share in their triumphs and sorrows.