"Loved The Way"
By Lani Hankins
I used to love the way you'd get upset if I picked the wrong place to eat on Mother's Day
Now I love taking myself out to wherever I wish to go
I used to love when you would buy me flowers I didn't want so that I could watch them wither away like passion
Now I love that this day is as lonely as the marriage we once had
I used to love the Hallmark cards that told me I was a good mother since you couldn't find the words
Now I love the way you forget that I am out here raising your child on my own
I used to love how you turned this day into a photo op to show how good you were to me
Now I love that you save those moments for when it's your day to pretend you've been here all along
I used to love all the promises you couldn't keep
Now I love having zero expectations
Lani Hankins is a former Army female engagement team member and a veteran of Afghanistan. Follow her here. Listen to the Savage Wonder episode with her here.
She blogs and podcasts at Kruse Corner.
Bunny: Poems About Surviving Military Life by Lani Hankins
Bottled Away: Confessions of a Struggling Veteran by Lani Hankins
The Gaslit Heart: A Story of Service and Survival by Lani Hankins
Eased Pain: Poems About Surviving Domestic Violence by Lani Hankins
What’s happening at VetRep…
Catch our interview this week with Larry Freeland on the Savage Wonder Podcast here.
Tickets are going fast for the Parlor this season, get yours here before they sell out! We’re currently playing Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, with Woody Allen’s Central Park West coming up in June.
We are currently offering multiple dates for our online and in-person Playwriting for Veterans classes, and our Acting for Beginners class is now being offered weekly every Saturday from 10am-12pm. Scholarships for qualifying veterans, as well as multi-class passes are available. Registration details can be found here.