mother

by Stephanie Buesinger

I kept the pearls —

they were most like 

her, a polished surface betraying 

a fragile core

a life of being 

compelled to do what others had expected —

didn’t they make pearls like that 

forcing a grain of sand, a sliver of shell

onto the raw, shiny innards of an 

oyster, its innocence concedes to the inevitable 

puncture of flesh, resistance worn 

down, disappointment forming concentric layers

until, inevitably, it gives birth to the 

incandescent. 

Stephanie Buesinger is a writer and illustrator. She writes short fiction and children's literature. Current projects include a Young Adult (YA) novel and several picture books. Stephanie has degrees from Wellesley College and the University of Texas at Austin. Following a career in finance and economic consulting she decided to follow her creative pursuits. She is the Photo and Blog editor for Literary Mama.