Not Knowing: By Christine McFarlane

Not Knowing

By: Christine McFarlane

The pain

of not knowing

What to

 call someone

Who gave me life

Festers inside

me

Like an

open wound

I do not know 

this woman

I'm supposed
to call
Mom

In the role of mother

Like a daughter should

The Canadian government

And child welfare authorities

Made sure of that

When I was

Scooped

And placed

 In another province

The pain

of not knowing

What to
 call someone
Who gave me life

Still festers

inside me

Like an
 open wound

Even after

All these years.