Invisible Mom By: Dana Yager

I wouldn't have to ponder long where I'd want to be

if I was granted invisibility.

Of course, I'd also hope for speed

to be frequent in time of need.

In days, at school; 
or the dormant night;
I'd lead them both to do 
what's right.

Never the wiser, 

they'd embrace their fate;
as I'd guide them to love

and away from sin's fate.
There

I'd appear

by Rio's class, 
hidden within 

my cloak of glass;
where it seems friendship flows
in waterfalls
of texts and whispers 

in the halls-
Skipping, swaying in between
flirty girls and little jerks,
besties, haters, jealous smirks, 
The art of secrets and 

pretending

that friendship,

over family,

is most worth...
defending.

I see Rio, 
Standing there;
Walking, laughing without a care.
She turns a corner and
Grabs her phone;

Reviewing a message from before,
Her cloudy eyes look to the floor.
I hold my breath as I also read;
At once washed in a pool of dread  
As I realized  
Even though I am in her head, 
I still can't change 
what others said.  

There is Daniel, in his History class
learning from the book that won
the privilege to educate my son;
yet of illusive, rose-colored glass 
it speaks of wars and 'victories' past.

I'd see the question form in his mind, 
'but, why is the only evolution of the same kind?'.
So I'd whisper to help him understand
that asking isn't what is best 
in a school that's driven just to beat the rest. 
So, he sits and makes his paper planes 
and hides them in his desk.  
At once, she sees him and calls him out;
Grabs his plane and begins to shout,
"See this class?! This is NOT allowed".

As she waves around his paper plane

she's honed the skill of teaching shame. 

I hope she's proud.

It seems I'd learn the most that day  
as it's clear no matter what I say,
I can't simply put on invisible wings
and force the whole world to do good things.

The person who's there,
The shoulder they need,
The one who cares,
is all I can be;
and for that,
I don't need invisibility.