Wings
No one tells you
When you move your child to college
About the next day
When the house is quiet
And her room lies empty
But the door is closed
So you pretend
For a moment
She is still there
Laughing
Talking on the phone
Leaving crumbs
How will they see her?
Will they see her beautiful wings
Glossy and new
How they love the light
Iridescent with promise?
Will they throw shadows
And break her heart?
Or will they become co-conspirators
Of joy
Kindred journeyers
Seeking pizza and movies
And friendship?
Yes.
The day after
You feel it in your bones.
The beginning
Of the shift.
When the wind rises
Gathering her
To the nest’s edge
And she learns
For the first time
How it feels
To fly.
Kathryn Yingst
08.18.25