Orbit by Lizzie Elliot-Klein

Dripping in wonder and cooing joy,

on steadfast legs you walk away.

You walk away from me.

I quiet the urge to chase and catch.

To always be one breath away,

lightning quick should you falter.

Now here I stand,

a watcher from afar,

for this piece of my heart

roaming outside of my body.

Once entwined milky mother-baby,

soaked in oxytocin laced proximity.

Now you drift from my orbit,

a bright asteroid of untapped promise.

I thought I would grieve this -

my heart breaking as we divide.

Arms wide empty with the shape of you.

But I softly step back

as you boldly go forwards.

Savouring the emergence

of who you are becoming.

As you walk away,

you walk away from me.

Lizzie Elliot-Klein is a poet, nature connection guide, and mama rooted in Plymouth, UK. With a background in marine biology and nature-based practices, her work reflects a deep awe for the natural world and the cyclical dance of the seasons.

Since welcoming her daughter, Lizzie’s creative practice has also begun to explore matrescence and the everyday wonder of watching a small person grow.

Her poetry has been published in Haunted Words Press, with forthcoming work appearing in Motherlore Magazine and Jawbone Journal. She currently runs nature-based creative writing workshops through SeaWyld and is working on her debut poetry collection.

Instagram: @ofbrackenandbrine and @seawyld.