Her son is to hang this morning.
She watches him meet each step
grey lead eyes, heavy lead heart
and wonders where she went wrong.

She loved him, once
loves him still,
despite better judgment.

He left her a boy
but came back a Man.
Stripped down
cold in her arms.

How does a Man unlearn 
lessons from a mother?
Words, embraces, stories

packed away like toys
left behind for weapons.

She has been left behind.
She doesn’t know how,
wants to weep at knowing why.

She looks across the crowd,
sees another mother,
silent too,
streaked cheeks screaming
Did my son deserve this?

The mother turns back to her own son.
Does mine?
She cries, finally,
because she knows.