Slip Away

I snap the fleece blanket
in the salty breeze,
then secure its corners
with notebooks,
a half-read novel
and thin rubber sandals.

Below my narrow strip of grass
stretches Mission Bay,
where boats named Dream Weaver
and Christina sway
like ballroom dancers.

My children ride side by side
on jet skies until they break rank,
daring each other to maneuver
the wakes that grow broader
with each turn. I’m certain
my breath is stolen by the wind.

Later, they ask, Did you see us?
I want to scold them for
their recklessness, but I don’t.
Courage, I think, to face
the challenges of their young lives.
Control, a mother’s constant struggle
to let go.

Published in
Saving Ourselves: An Anthology Advocating for Women & Girls