giving birth to a heart

“i do not expect my child’s respect.
just because i have given birth to their life.
does not mean they owe me.
anything.
what i want most
is to look into my child’s eyes
and
see
that i have given birth
to a heart.
have honored.
held and feed.
someone's heart.
from the moment we first met.
and they love me for it.”
― Nayyirah Waheed