Freedom and Searching
After he leaves, the poem shifts to show how the mother copes with his absence. She releases a songbird from its cage - a clear symbol of letting her son go free, even though it breaks her heart.
The dove becomes a recurring symbol of peace and hope as she follows it through the town. She ends up at the war memorial, leaning against it "like a wishbone" - a metaphor that suggests both her fragility and her desperate hopes for his safe return.
Weir's use of sewing metaphors continues here ("tucks, darts, pleats") showing how the mother tries to hold herself together. The fact that she's "hat-less, without a winter coat" reveals how violence has left its mark on every part of her daily life - she can't even take care of herself properly.
Key insight: The mother's journey to the war memorial represents her search for connection with her son and all the other mothers who've lost children to war.