on
Mother’s Last Mothers Day
by Alison Cassidy
And on that last Mothers Day,
when the birch leaves
fluttered pale gold,
and the magpies chortled
in the garden,
and the children gathered
round the big bed
clutching the presents
(all edible)
that they knew you’d share,
You looked into their eager faces
and their cards (hand made)
and said:
‘I’m so lucky.
So lucky to have
my lovely family all around me’.
And your eyes sank deep in their bank of pillows,
your back bent into a question mark,
your knees making a tent of the doona.
The books that lined your room,
you’d read again and again:
‘I’ve usually forgotten what happens,
but they’re always pleasantly familiar’.
The children opened the sugared almonds
(your favorites for as long as I can remember)
You handed them round the circle,
sucking yours gingerly:
‘Don’t want to break these teeth
now that Malcolm’s not round to fix them’.
Eight weeks later
pneumonia allowed you a graceful exit.
It was your eighty eighth birthday.
Mother On Mothers Day
by Joanne Bailey Baxter
You were the center of our universe
The mother of us all
You gave to us your everything
We only need to call
And soon your strength was tested
Though you put up such a fight
For from a distant spiritual land
The angels called you in the night
For someone up in heaven
Looked down upon the land
And chose mom for her strength
To come and give a hand
He knew that her legacy
That she had left behind
Would withstand the pain and grief
Over a period of time
For she had fulfilled his prophesy
Spreading love, honor, and hope
She instilled in those she left behind
The ability to understand and cope
My Gift From Mother Nature On Mothers Day
by Mary Nagy
She knew
all I was hoping for
was a little time with you all.
She knew
if the day was bright and sunny
he would be out riding his bike
and the girls would be busy soaking up the sun.
You would inevitably have work to do
whether it was changing the spark plugs
on one of our half-dead vehicles
or mending the fence
to keep our squirrel-crazy bassett hound from escaping.
She knew
I would probably plant flowers by myself.
I love planting flowers
but, I can do that any day.
Today I wanted to spend with those
who have made me a mother.
She knew
if she dropped the temperature
down into the 40’s
you would all surely
seek the warmth of the house.
She knew
that a light drizzle
of ice-cold rain
would ensure your company
throughout the day.
As I curl up on the couch
with all of you surrounding me
and I listen to the predictable bickering
over the popcorn bowl,
I silently thank her
for giving me the gift I wanted most
for Mothers Day.
My family.
I’m glad she knows me so well.
Thank you Mother Nature.
Happy Mothers Day!
Happy Mothers Day In Heaven
by Donna Nimmo
I reached for your hand, It wasn’t there
I needed your heart, you didn’t care
I was born to you, you couldn’t love me
I was a mistake, you needed to be free
I don’t blame you, life dealt you a bad deal
You never knew love, and could not heal
Abandoned yourself, a very young child
You needed your freedom, to be wild
Trapped like a wild animal all your life
So much burden to have children and be a wife
Made bad choices, abuse was all you knew
The worst of mankind is what you drew
You never healed from being a kid
I couldn’t understand back then, things you did
My biggest fear growing up, was being like you
I was so broken, but finally pulled through
You couldn’t accept my love till you got old and sick
I wanted your love through then and thick
I took care of you till the very end, my heart breaking
I needed your love, and it was finally there for the taking
So I want you to know if you can see me up there
You will always be in my heart, I’ll always care
Do I forgive you, I’m haunted by losing you again
I feel so lucky for the short time, before it had to end
It’s been two years now, I still carry the pain
I’ve always loved you, and it wasn’t in vane
The cemetery is painful, I know you aren’t there
But I can talk to you, please know I care.
Your life was tragic and so was mine
I’ve broken the curse and continue to shine
I hope you have, a wonderful mothers day
You’re with God now, and not others prey
So I say goodbye, once again for now
I’ll see you again, this I vow!
