My Guiding Light

Tiaan, you’ve become big and strong, but
your eyes are still young, so innocent and
impressionable, you have been exposed
to pictures on the Internet, and suddenly
knowing is bigger than you, and I crave to
hold on to you, to keep my little boy safe
from the world; yet you are too big for my
motherly embrace – only by keeping a
vision of you as safe, successful and brave,
can I sleep at night, only by praying that
your guardian angel will never forsake you,
can I see you off at the door – my vision
is firmly in place, the prayer never leaves
my heart – you look so grown-up and smart
in your school uniform, suddenly you’ve
been taken up in a time warp – but you
are vulnerable underneath the smart new
exterior, and I love you so very, very much;
and the vision of your elfin face happy in
laughter is my guiding light…