When they bite the hand that feeds
juliedee.substack.com
When they bite the hand that feeds
A poem
When they bite the hand that feeds
.
When they bite the hand that feeds
There’s really nothing you can do
You can listen, offer comfort
But it’s never about you
When they’re snapping, they’re unwrapping
Every layer of their past
Trusted confidants who wronged them
Every love that didn’t last
Cutting comments from a mother
Angry scoldings from a dad
Every door slammed by a stranger
Every beating that they had
.
When they bite the hand that feeds
It’s time to grow a thicker skin
Take a step back from the battle
It’s a war you cannot win
And that doesn’t mean desert them
When they build another wall
For abandonment will hurt them
They can’t take another fall
We can offer our assistance
But their drama must not lead
Sometimes loving from a distance
Is the safest way to feed.
I usually post my poems in clusters but decided this one speaks best in isolation.
Maybe it speaks to you right now.
This Shakespeare quote came to mind when I read your brilliant poem, "How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child".
Then I realised I once was that child, even though I was thinking of it from a parent's point of view. Karma perhaps?