This Mum is on Fire

It was an exciting challenge to be given the words of new mums and collaborate for the documentary ‘First Time Mum’, in order to write a poem that encapsulated their experiences. After being given an email, where each mum wrote their experience down, I ended up using a version of blackout poetry, as a stepping stone to expose the essence of what they’ve been through. After blacking out everything but the keywords, I proceeded to weave every word into the poem. This cleared the way to write ‘This Mum is on Fire’. This is something new to me but I feel that their experiences of being a new mum were retained and even heightened.

Swaddle me tightly now and wrap me up, I want the ease of drinking from a sippy cup. Click To Tweet
Swaddle me tightly now and wrap me up,
I want the ease of drinking from a sippy cup.
Please let me sit here and figure it out,
It needs to be my journey, otherwise there’s doubt.
Doubt doesn’t sleep and it’s fed when you’re a mum,
So your advice is feeding the background hum.
My desire to be a great mum is here.
My focused steps are adapting with fear,
That what I lack will affect my baby’s life.
I would cut out the bad with a C-section Knife
But as we know that’s a hard delivery too,
So the formula will be learn as you do.
Yes, I’m not prepared and still surviving
And despite the pressure my baby is thriving.
So I will struggle for my own solution,
My house works on my own smug pollution.
I’ll pump my family home as I desire.
It’s all consuming but this mum is on fire.
It’s not automatic and it may lack support
But I have more value, when I don’t import.
I’ll take your advice but give it up if need be,
Like breastfeeding I’ll do what’s right for me.
Before, my confidence had been loosing weight.
The emotional toll meant I couldn’t think straight.
Now I may feel guilty and the pain is mine
And I’ll reach out to my group, my network and whine
Because issues will rise and perceptions will fall
But by bedtime (mine), I’ll have coped with it all.
Because issues will rise and perceptions will fall But by bedtime (mine) I’ll have coped with it all. Click To Tweet

Mama Grace