I was, I am, I will be

I was a battered boy

I am a broken man

One day soon for certain

I will be dust and sand.

I was an unloved little girl

Who grew to woman be

Angry and hard, bitter and cold

Sad, alone and lonely.

I was the child of these two souls

Much loved, indeed, adored,

With whom they shared their dreams untold

In whom their pains and aches they poured.

I am a woman now

The mother of a son

Untouched by the nightmares

Of battles never won.

I will be the witness

Of lives I can’t forget

Of buried hopes and dreams

Of loves I’ve never met.