Tilt-a-Whirl
A Poetry Sporadical of Repeating Forms

Good Daughter

I’m a good daughter.
I wipe the spit away.
She was a good mother,
most of the time.

I wipe the spit away,
always at the bedside,
most of the time,
in spite of it all.

Always at the bedside.
I don’t hate her,
in spite of it all.
I’m a better person.

I don’t hate her.
It’s not that
I’m a better person,
deep down inside.

It’s not that
she was a good mother.
Deep down inside
I’m a good daughter.

Rachel Sawaya lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Mali ‘04-’06) and is completing a Masters in Creative Writing through Victoria University. She has been published by Radio New Zealand and recently won the nationwide Ocean:View competition held by WWF. Visit her blog.