Get Up

Summary

A mother grapples with overwhelming emotions and responsibilities, struggling to rise from bed and face her daily challenges, ultimately realizing she must save herself.

Abstract

The poem "Frozen in Motherhood" captures the internal struggle of a mother who is unable to get out of bed despite her children's pleas. She is haunted by nightmares and a sense of inadequacy, feeling overwhelmed by her responsibilities. The mother has hoped for someone to rescue her, clinging to promises of help, but comes to understand that her salvation lies within herself. Despite the anxiety that whispers she is not enough, she acknowledges that she has been waiting for her own strength and resolve to overcome her fears and the challenges of motherhood before reaching the age of thirty.

Opinions

The author expresses a deep sense of personal responsibility coupled with an inability to meet the demands of motherhood, leading to feelings of failure.
There is a palpable desperation in the mother's plea for the floor not to fall through again, indicating a fear of recurring hardship or mental breakdown.
The poem conveys a journey from dependency, waiting for external help, to self-reliance, as the mother realizes she is the person she has been waiting for.
The mother's internal dialogue reflects a battle with anxiety, which undermines her self-worth and contributes to her paralysis.
The poem suggests that the mother's personal growth and self-realization are urgent, hinting at a looming deadline of turning thirty.

Frozen in Motherhood-a Poem

Photo by M. on Unsplash

Get up. I tell myself, get up. But I don’t. Mommy, please get up, my 7-year-old pleads. My 3-year-old screams for me. I can’t get out of bed. Overwhelmed with all of this responsibility and emotions. Is anyone there? He tells me I make him yell. I make him act like this towards me.

The nightmares still come. I wake up sweating. They are so familiar. But my brain won’t let me remember. I look at my hands, and remember.

I waited for someone to save me. Grabbed onto anyone who said they would. No one could. I’m so far away. I thought that you’d be here by now.

Please don’t let the floor fall through again.

The person I was waiting for all along was me. The anxiety says I’m not enough. I might just combust. Before I’m 30.