6 poems

Poems for a Daughter From a Mother

Six original poems from a mother to a daughter about growing up, pride, friction, distance and letting go.

A mother’s poem to a daughter can hold more than praise. It can acknowledge disagreement, independence and the strange work of watching someone become fully herself.

These pieces range from brief notes for a card to longer poems suitable for a birthday, wedding or private message.

warm·card

Your Own Weather

I packed you an umbrella.
You left it by the door.

All afternoon the rain found you,
and still you came home laughing.

I am learning, daughter,
that protection is not the same
as keeping the sky away.

playful·birthday

The Blue Bedroom

We painted the room blue because you asked,
then argued about which blue for three Saturdays.

Now the walls hold pale rectangles
where your posters used to be.

You have your own address.
I have finally admitted
you chose the better colour.

strong·reading

Not My Second Chance

You are not the road I missed,
not my unfinished piano lesson,
not a cleaner copy of my life.

You are your own difficult country.
I can offer maps, sandwiches,
a place to sleep after the border closes.

The journey is yours.

hopeful·message

For the Day You Doubt Yourself

Remember the shelf you built crooked
and refused to take down.
It still holds every heavy book.

Confidence is not always straight.
Sometimes it leans,
finds the wall,
and carries the weight anyway.

tender·wedding

At Your Wedding

I will not say I am giving you away.
You were never an object in my keeping.

I watched you arrive at yourself
through scraped knees, slammed doors,
and mornings you began again.

Today I stand nearby,
proud to be invited into your choosing.

quiet·message

The Call Home

You call to ask about the boiler
and stay to tell me about the moon.

Between practical things—
pressure valve, train times, rent—
we build a small lit bridge.

Neither of us says we missed the other.
The bridge knows.