I Named You Before You Were Born

You did not remain nameless
I named you
Before you were born
I knew the night
You were conceived
That a boy child would grow Inside of me
This is very good news 
In some cultures
And part of me rejoiced
The part of me that was 
Glorious was you

There was another part of me
That didn't know what to do
"They" said I was too young
to be a good mother
and at first I wouldn't listen
I wanted so very much to keep you
To hold you and rock you and to sing to you each and every day and night
I wanted to be your mother
and make everything all right

I loved you before you 
Were born
I loved you through and through
And the choices I made directly Affected you
The mistakes I made 
I could not undo
You were conceived 
In Love 
Confusing, but true
But you were not the mistake 
My child
My mistake was that I wasn't prepared
to be the mother you deserved

I always wanted you
but I also wanted what was best
for you and so I chose to surrender
but I never let you go
And when I dream of how you grew
from a boy into a man
I wonder what name was given to you
and if you knew that once I named you too

pattra burnetto monroe