I won’t say all parents 

all is never truthful

but 

some parents can’t love anyone as much as they love their children

even if they never loved themselves

            even if they loved themselves

                                 they will sacrifice themselves

over 

and 

over 

            again

till they are a withered nub

if lucky

                 they do it willingly and even gladly

                                looking up to smile beatifically at the creation of

                                the formation of

                                the grand circle of life 

they have contributed to

if not lucky

                                   they will do it 

                                   forcefully

                                   fitfully

and 

                                    resentfully

never looking up

from the wheel

that crushed the butterfly

it would be grand to say there was a choice in all cases

but

again