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Selling Ourselves

Parenthood is always a gamble,
a crap shoot fusion of egg and sperm,
the flesh explosion of another life into ours,
an invitation to the ultimate challenge of being human
and the associated fallout from striving

to be an ever-better parent.
We seem to forget ourselves
under the mushroom cloud of the nuclear family,
putting aside our wants for someone else.
Every child comes with a price:

things we settle for, dreams
we let go of, promises we make to ourselves
but never keep.
Then these children become their own people,
grow from parasitism to mutualism.

We are always seeking
a better life for those we spawn,
perhaps this ticket is a winner,
or perhaps another whiner.
Maybe one day they will

even buy our story.
This morning we wake like every morning,
make our tired bed, fix our low-fat breakfast,
and we sell ourselves again. We wonder at where
the time has gone.
 
Then one morning
all children wake up,
make their own bed, fix their own breakfast,
go out into the world
and sell themselves.

We wonder when they grew up and how they know
to speak, to walk, to even breathe
without our guidance, but what we hope the most is
they learn before it’s too late −
no price is enough to ask for your life.

credits

from Into Light: The Poems of M. D. Friedman, released January 1, 2024

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Mad Dog Friedman | Mad Dog Blues | Peddlers of Joy image

Mad Dog Friedman | Mad Dog Blues | Peddlers of Joy Lafayette, Colorado

Mad Dog writes from the moment and sings from his heart. His influences include sources as divergent as William Butler Yeats & the delta blues. His songwriting is sincere, simple & often humorous. He has recorded many solo & collaborative projects featuring his spontaneous compositions on harmonica, Native American flute & Theremin. He is also the founder of Mad Dog Blues & The Astral Project. ... more

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