Single Mother Morning Poem by Jessica Kelly

Sleepy eyes open,
grin.
Angel face asleep on the pink pillow
beside her head.

She puts her feet on the floor,
'oh, what a mess this room has become, '
and drudges toward the bathroom,
'ow, ow, ow... my feet hurt worse than before.'
She looks at her sleepy face in the mirror,
charcoal eyes from yesterday's mascara,
'ooh, that's hot. Heh.'
She is not as young as she once was.
Her age speaks youth,
but life has worn her smile.
Adolescent oily face,
pimple on her chin.
'This is ridiculous, I'm too old for pimples.'

She splashes water on her face
and brushes her teeth.
Back into the bedroom,
heaps of dirty laundry,
'I have nothing to wear. Ugh. Nothing to wear! '
Khaki pants on the floor,
missing the top button,
but less wrinkled than her black slacks.
She pulls on a tank top and a shrug.
'Yeah, cute enough.'

Angel still asleep on her bed,
'what will she wear today?
I've GOT to do laundry.
I'll do it all today.'
She's been saying that every day
for a week, maybe two.

She finds a clean pink shirt,
and orange and pink plaid shorts.
She's a pro,
daughter dressed while still asleep.
'Wake up, my little angel.'
Sleepy eyes open,
grin.
Her clothes match today,
down to her pink socks,
but she's chosen to wear her
velcro shoes, green camo.

She smiles at her angel
in her pink outfit and green camo shoes.
She is her mother's daughter.

Phone? Check.
Purse? Check.
Keys? Check.
And out the door
to another day
same as the one before.
Only today,
her pants aren't quite as wrinkled
and her angel's shoes don't match.