For Mum
My mother is a virgin
She told me not to get pregnant when I left home.
“They pop right out of us”
I was surprised she said it
When I stepped out the door I had to hold her hand
Her hand cradled mine
Tightly
When she released me
Her fingernails left scrapes on my hands.
Babies rip themselves out of you
And I’m sorry that we left each other scarred
My mother is a virgin
And I am not