Written 17th August, 2026 for A Parent's Love Poetry Contest sponsored by Matt Caliri
You cuddle close in the quiet dark. "Which one do you love more?” You think my heart is a pie. You think I only have so many slices. But think of the mother kangaroo. She holds a tiny joey deep inside her pouch. It is just a quiet heartbeat in the dark. But her older joey bounds across the dirt. He is wild and fast in the sun. She loves the quiet joey safe inside. She loves the older joey running free. She does not cut her heart in half. Love just changes shape to hold them both Love just changes shape to hold them both. Today, you watched your sister win a prize. You watched her and felt small. Now the mother possum in the woods. She carries all her babies on her back. They hold tight to her fur in the dark. Your sister is like the strongest possum baby. The one who finally climbs down to walk alone. You wonder if the mother loves the walking baby best. She doesn't. She loves the brave steps on the ground. But she loves the trusting weight upon her back. Love stretches wide enough for everyone. Love stretches wide enough for everyone. You watch me help your brother tie his shoe. He needs more time today. You think I have forgotten you. But look up at the kookaburra nest. One chick is loud and strong. The runt is small and weak. The mother feeds the small one first. She sits with him the longest. She loves the small one because he needs her help to grow. But she loves the stronger for its happy song. Giving extra time is not giving extra love. Giving extra time is not giving extra love. Now when you get angry and I send you to your room. You watch me hold your sister while you cry. You think my love has gone away. But look at the foxes in the winter den. One kit bites too hard and plays too rough. The mother pushes him away. He sits on the cold edge and feels alone. She loves his wild and brave heart. But she has to teach him to survive. She comforts the gentle kit. She disciplines the wild kit. She finds a different love for every child. She finds a different love for every child. You look around at all the beds in our house. You think love is like a loaf of bread. You think it will run out. Look at the mother spider in the grass. She carries hundreds of babies on her back. She feels their tiny feet walking on her shell. She does not cut her heart into tiny pieces. She does not run out of love for the last one. She loves the heavy weight of all of them together. Love does not run out when there are more to hold. Love does not run out when there are more to hold. You hear your brother shouting and laughing. You think I notice him more than you. Then think about the deep, blue ocean. The ocean holds the giant whale. It holds the tiny, quiet shells. It loves the loud and crashing waves. It loves the quiet water deep below. The ocean does not pick a favorite fish. It makes a home for every single one. There are no borders in a parent's heart. There are no borders in a parent's heart. I do not have a map to show who matters more. The kangaroo, the possum, and the bird all know. A mother’s love just changes to meet the need. I love your brother when he runs wild. I love your sister when she needs my help. But you are loved in your own special way. There is only one of you in the whole world. I pull the blankets up to your chin. You cuddle close in the quiet dark.
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