open beak begging
skyward gulp-
ing
all she can give
and still more
a mother’s life never
her own
until it flies
heart breaking into
a thousand
twinkling stars
on distant
black shores

Steve Lavigne runs a local poetry group cupoetry.com in East Central Illinois. The group meets weekly to discuss, write and help make poetry a part of the community experience. He’s been published by the New Verse News and the Riversedge Journal. Steve self-published his older poetry in easily downloadable formats at smash words ebooks.  And yes, he put it there for all posterity to annoy and embarrass his daughter.