seven children

her children,
of every age
are weeds growing
awkwardly out of the ground.
patches of them
in the yard,
under the sun and rain,
in another room,
on the streets.
so many kids,
so many weeds.
she can't pull them
out and rake them away,
they're her own,
but how she longs
sometimes for a green
freshly mowed,
trimmed wide lawn.