Over time
the mother wound changes
no longer do you wonder if anyone saw it
if they noticed the chasm
the awkwardness
the disconnect
the silence
the ghost of a child
always near
never included
did it really matter
then one day
you receive validation –

a conversation with an old family friend
and the words 

“we thought you were adopted”

Did you have dreams?
Aspirations?
You never mentioned any
You never asked me if I had any dreams
It made me believe that
dreams were foolish
So I had them
And I hid them
Never telling anyone
because I was ashamed of them
embarrassed to have dreams
How silly is that?
But it is what happens
when no one around you
dreams