To My Mother

To my mother,

to the hands that poured liquid gold

from the empty cup life had condemned her to carry

Though she was thirsty and weary.

*

To my mother,

To the pillar of unyielding strength

To the resilience, not the darkness, that

made you who you are.

*

To my mother,

the whole to which I am a part of,

To the hips that cracked and womb that stretched

To breathe life from her into me.

*

To my mother,

to the unsung Atlas who carried the world on her back,

who carried her children unwaveringly

with her towards the freedom she couldn’t see.

*

To my mother,

to her bloody soles that stepped purposefully

across the broken glass of her dreams

so that she could carry us to ours.

*

To my mother,

to the woman who broke the glass ceiling

looming over our heads

so that we could fly higher

at the expense of her own wings.

I See you.

*

To my mother,

To the woman who gnawed her lips raw with worry

As she counted every penny but gladly traded them all

For our smiles,

Rathering that her piggy bank be bursting full of memories

And happiness her currency.

*

To my mother,

Beautiful not only in name and stature

but also in the way her mind flowed effortlessly

And her heart adventured forth.

*

To my mother,

To her heart which is learning to sing again from the ashes

The melody that it had long forgotten,

A phoenix song drowning out all noise

And leaving only her deserved good.

*

To my mother,

To the reborn poet who is carefully crafting a poem to her mother

As I am writing one for my mother--

A generational loop

Tied with careful fingers and loving hearts,

And sealed with the unknowable bond

Between mothers and daughters.

*

To my mother,

To the poet,

The genetic architect,

Builder of dreams,

To my Mother,

To my Sister,

It is okay to build your own wings this time.

We’ll help you feather by feather by feather,

Breathing life into you as you breathed it into us.

*

To my mother,

From your daughter,

It is okay to fly,

To take comfort in the hands you crafted

Helping to guide you home

So at last you can lean back and sigh

And enjoy the good life.