Anger Poem

Mother And Son Parted At Birth

As a baby my mother gave me up to the Foundling Hospital in London, and from there I was boarded out to a foster mother. On attaining school age, I and my three foster brothers were sent to a school with hundreds of others in the same plight. It was tough...
Nearly 10 years later my birth mother came along and took me out. The transition from an institutional life to a family life was very difficult and try as I could, my life became very unhappy and desperate...even to suicidal tendencies. Less than three years later I had to leave. The years went by with very little contact with my mother...and when we did meet it was always a very strained relationship.
Now in her twilight years, nothing has improved, as much as I've tried. We are now at the stage where she no longer wants me in her life in any form and never wants to see me again. There is so much more to tell...

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Wow! This poem is so true. It almost made me cry. I am 13 years old and lived 13 years without my mom. I live with my grandparents. It's kind of hard because whenever I'm at school my friends...

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The Home He Knew Best

Published by Family Friend Poems August 2008 with permission of the Author.

A mother and son were parted at birth,
Wrenched from each other on this terrible earth,
With no place to go she walks through the night,
Looking for somewhere till the morning light.

Lonely and sad and with no family or friend,
Shunned and broken hearted - too delicate to mend,
She searched for a room to lay down her poor head,
Suffering her punishment for being unwed.

She spotted an ad. offering "bed and full board",
For someone to clean; this could not be ignored,
She located the house and knocked on the door,
Praying that no one had been there before.

A kindly old lady answered her call,
Inviting her in to the fashionable hall,
She said she'd come about the job advertised,
And could start immediately, if so desired.

A few questions asked and she was given the job,
But emotions overcame her, she broke down and sobbed.
The kindly old lady put her hand on her arm,
Said, "There's no need for tears, here you'll come to no harm."

And so for the mother a new life begins,
Toiling each day but remembering her sins,
Her little child gone, would she see him again?
Could she go through her life with this terrible pain?

The child was placed at an early date,
Along with three others of similar fate,
To a home where life was abundant with love,
And God watched over from his throne up above.

But the day finally came they had to leave this behind,
And enter a school where no love would they find,
Beatings and bullying were 'the order of the day,
They had no one to turn to, it's here they must stay.

But the boys from this school were different to others,
Not only because of the absence of mothers,
It was survival of the fittest, you couldn't be weak,
You kept your mouth shut and not be a sneak.

Night-times the boys were risen from bed,
Given a beating, but ne'er a tear was shed,
Food for the young ones was whisked away,
Taken by big boys...who learned that in their day.

Years went by till the mother found her son,
Brought up oppressively, unknowing what she done,
But he holds nothing against her, it was the choice she made,
And now he forgives her for the penalties THEY'VE paid.

But the happiness he was seeking just never came,
Those important years had extinguished the flame,
The difficulty being the adjustments required,
And mistakes on BOTH sides to be rectified.

Unjust expectations created concern,
As much as he tried, there was too much to learn,
For a family life meant sharing and giving,
With trust and love, NOT the way we were living.

Sometimes he wondered, would life have been better,
If he'd stayed at the school and not even met her,
For though life at the school was hardly a rest,
It was after all the HOME he knew best.

Ken Budden. 2007

more by Ken Budden

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Has this poem touched you? Share your story!

by Jah'kayla Brown
6 years ago

Wow! This poem is so true. It almost made me cry. I am 13 years old and lived 13 years without my mom. I live with my grandparents. It's kind of hard because whenever I'm at school my friends always say that they are going somewhere with their mom, and it just makes me mad. This poem was excellent. Thank you!

by Lilli
8 years ago

I was shocked to read this story and poem even though it is well written. It is not that I do not appreciate your story but that it is obviously sad and true. Myself, I officially grew up with my parents and brother for a little while, but...there was no love flowing in any ways from both my parents or my brother, ever.
I had an extremely sad and lonely youth and wish it would have been happier and it does affect the rest of your life.
It is right to write the truth and you wrote it beautifully. I wish I could write so well.

by Katniss
12 years ago

WOW. That's an amazing poem, no it wasn't just a poem but a story. You are a very strong man for what you have been through and I admire you for that. Even by reading one poem I can see you are a good man and although I haven't been your situation, I know what it feels like you are alone. I don't know what else to say except you have an epic talent there. Such an emotional poem that would move even the coldest of people. Well done and I hope you can see what a man you are.

by Inez Aurora, Co.
12 years ago

WOW, what a very sad poem. It couldn't have been easy to live that kind of life, yet to write a poem about it. But it sounds like you wrote it from your heart. Wow, to write it in such exquisite detail, like you never forgot each drastic moment, and yet to meet your mum, and still not knowing for sure if you would've been better off not knowing her at all. You are a very brave man to write your life story for everyone to see, who knows, maybe there is a little boy or girl, who is living the exact life that you have lead, and is reading your story. Bravo Mr. Ken Budden

by Maria
14 years ago

Very well expressed. Thank You for sharing this with us, Very emotional. So so sad for each member of what could have and should have been a happy secure family unit. I feel the pain. If only......... '

by Kayla Coffey
14 years ago

This poem was simply perfect. I could really feel the pain you put into these words. Marvelous rhyming and wording too.

by Lynn
16 years ago

This was so tough for me to read, I kept choking back tears. I could hug you for being as brave as you are. Thank you for sharing this.

by david fairfield
16 years ago

liked the poem as I am in the same situation except I never got to see my mum who died in 1981 missed but not forgotten

by Nina
16 years ago

This is a poem, that a wonderful man wrote, but still remembers and sees through a child's eyes what he saw around him. It's an amazing poem, reached right into my heart. Would make a great movie too... Bravo!!!