Once upon a mothers dawning

her teen daughter came a calling

knocking knocking on her brains forevermore

Only this, no theres much more.

Wistfully teen sought the morrow

where she could escape the sorrow

of that bitterness she sought so hard

to fight the days before.

When in a second there came a clatter

Mom ran in yelled what's the matter

Daughter raved "I don't know" and slammed her

bedroom door.

Not only this, there's so much more.

Fitfully the teen sat rocking

back and forth her knees locking

teeth were clenched in a fit of mortal rage

When mom came in to ask the matter

teen flew off the wall then shattered

shattered on the bedroom floor

Not only this, there's so much more

Teen yelled my boyfriend hates me

He's been out to get me lately

Life's not fair and I wish I never had

been born.

Mom reached out to comfort daugther

handed her the present that she bought her

but to no avail did the teen recieve

Mom thought to herself...when the reprieve?

Mom again asked she walked on eggshells

dreaming of past years of pastels

when her teen was just a lovely child

When the teen flew off the handle

knocked over her books off of the mantle

I can't take much more

Some of this and so much more.

Carefully mom backed up slowly

feeling rather scared and lowly

If only she could help her teen adjust

Mom fought back the tears she shed

then climbed down the stairs instead

listening to her teen behind the bedroom door.

Some of this and so much more.

For the past year her teen was growing

her belly grew but was finally slowing

and mom knew very well then what was wrong.

She fought hard to deny the reasons

why the teen changed like the seasons

but she knew what in her belly grew.

Mom grew frantic ever silent

Wishing she knew where her child went

wishing she could take back all the times before

when teen reached out for understanding

instead of friendship she stood standing

like a ship of oblivious moms before

This and just a little more.

So the mom is now a grandma

babys father he's run off now

leaving responsibility to both

If you can learn from this small ditty

just a little message bitty

Listen to your teen before it is too late.

Use tough love and make haste.

written by Mary Tilley