she tells me we are her gray hairs.

her wrinkles.
we are her pride, her joy.
her bittersweet reality.
her sorrow.

literally, we are her flesh and bones.
we are her womb, inverted and
alive.
we are her bursting heart.
we are the mind over matter.
we are her sacrifices. her choices.
she tells us we're her treasures.

she put her all into bringing us.
four of us, exactly.
we have every bit of her inside
and outside all of us.

i have her sly grin
and my sister has
her no-nonsense attitude.
my two brothers
have her temper and tactical, outspoken character.
she gave up everything that used to belong to her,
we are her burdens
when we kick and moan.
still,
we are her love.

and i do not know
if i truly deserve it.