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"I wanted to graze my nose across the tip of your nose, play at being Eskimos like we did when you were little"
She feels detached from her son. This is apparent even before he has left, she feels like she can't act the same way with him any more.
The mother clings to her memories of her son, constantly talking of them, trying to make up for him not being there.
"My stomach busy making tucks, darts, pleats"
She is anxious and frightened about what may happen to her son when he is away.
"War memorial" "Armistice Sunday"
She feels like she has lost her son already, even though he has only just left to join the army.
"Hoping to hear your playground voice"
She is desperately trying to find a way to connect with her son.
The mother clings to his identity as a son, emphasised by the adjective "playground."
"Spasms" "Bandaged"
Words that have connotations of injury, she fears that her son will be harmed in conflict.
"I traced the inscriptions on the war memorial"
She is scared that her son may even be killed, she doesn't want to see her son's name on the memorial.
Could be read as her son has died and she is mourning him.
"Blazer" "Lapel"
The son has a new identity now as a soldier, these are visual reminders.
"Steeled the softening" "I was brave"
It is not just the son who is joining the army that is being "brave" the mother is being "brave" and hiding her feelings, she doesn't want her son to leave but she also doesn't want to stop him from doing what he wants to do in life.
"The world overflowing like a treasure chest" "Intoxicated"
Two contrasting experiences, the son is eager and excited to go out and explore the world, whereas the mother is left full of sadness, afraid he will be harmed by the world, especially in the army.
