Saturday, May 09, 2009

Mother's Day

Jessica

Mom
.
I have a mother. I am a mother. It's all circular.
.
And on this Mother's Day, I am expertly aware of all the love most Mothers carry for all their lives, for all of their children, for every imaginable reason large and small.
.
I wrote this poem for my beloved Jessica a while back, but today I gratefully offer and dedicate it to all the daughters and the Mothers of the world, all the seekers and givers and recipients of a love so deep and so true, every sacrifice is hardly noticed.
.
For Jessica
.
Take both eyes, both hands,
My legs and arms,
Even take the precious German clock
And every special book.
.
Take my bank account,
All twenty photo albums,
My garden in August
And the miraculous April rain.
.
Take it all if you can promise.
I knew in the instant this would be so.
I’m into any burning house,
Onto a frigid raft at sea,
I’m ripping the mangled steel with my bare hands.
Anything, anything for this girl.
.
The edgeless corners of the truest love
And the endless reserve of cavernous protection
Surround this child who lives within and without,
This fantabulous kid with the crack up wit
And the tender expansive heart.
.
Take it all, whether you are a son-of-a-bitch
Or an evolving angel,
Whether the cost is temporary or forever,
Take it all if you’ll shelter this child
Through every molecular motion and moment.
.
She sits at a desk with walls
And she finds little bargains at malls.
She eats salads at Bugaboo Creek
And on Sundays she brings Sprite to her grandmother.
.
She is an anchor in an unsteady world.
She is hybrid fuel to those who love her.
She is a reason to push
And the forever foremost answer
To everything that could ever matter.
.
Given the chance to love like this,
The price of my sightless limbless body
And wiped clean barren possessions
Amounts to nothing more than shiny pennies
And effortless will.
.
Wishes for a Happy, Grateful, Blessed Mother's Day

28 comments:

  1. It is a mother's portion to be willing to give up life, limb and, property to the children they bear...and to do it so willingly is the mark of a good mom.

    May the reward of that motherhood be spread through all three generations of your living family today. With you as a linchpin it will turn to a wonderful moment in time.

    Be well all of you ladies of the mothering persuasion.

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  2. what a touching poem, happy moms day mommy.

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  3. walking man, after reading all the attributes you mention, i'm not sure i'm THAT portionate, but thanks so much for the sentiment. i refuse to be a linchpin though--it sounds too fishy! don't ask me why..

    :)

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  4. Simply, beautifully lovely, my friend! Happy, happy mother's day to one of the most creative and super moms I know! xoxo

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  5. Jeez KJ, this choked me up. It's really beautiful.

    I love seeing Jess and your Mom for this post. Your face should be there too ;)

    I hope you're feeling better today. You sounded awful last night. I hope your special day is gentle and filled with love.

    xoxox
    Lo

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  6. soulbrush, happy day to you too. with love...

    melissa, those words boomerang right back to you! xoxo

    lo, i like to choke you up :)
    no pix of me because i hit some damn keyboard button and most of my adobe pictures are now locked up--wtf?! i feel better but not best today. i'm losing my voice--that alone could be a catastrophy!
    love you lo. emma and bliss say happy mother's day to you, plus all these other critters on the planet who know you love them.

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  7. kj that is really beautiful. Thank you.

    Hope you had fun with your friends.

    xoxo

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  8. That is a beautiful poem, your daughter is lucky, and so are you :-). Have a wonderful, Happy Mother's Day!

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  9. Same to you Kj, have a great weekend. Loved reading your poem a certainly different twist but very down to earth.
    Happy mothers day to all. What a great gift to be mothering and loving!
    Your all beautiful!

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  10. OH!
    I wish I'd written that!
    (not that I could)

    Happy Day to the one with the mighty keyboard, and yours!

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  11. Wow what a poem!
    Hope you had the most wonderful Mother´s Day ever!

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  12. Happy Mother's Day. The sun is shining bright with warmth and the wind is blowing in crisp air with a little biting sting.

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  13. I love that poem - I so understand the feeling that I would lay down my life in a heartbeat for my children.

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  14. May she ever deserve such love. I envy you that you feel it.

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  15. Happy Mother's Day to you !
    Mothers are always special !

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  16. renee, i so hope your day was good or great. i thought of you often, surrounded by your wonderful family.

    annie, yes, it is a blessing to love and be loved like this. xo

    sweet julie-ann, i hope your day was filled with love. it seems we have a special connection and i am glad.

    babs, i just love your spirit!

    marianne, it was a very nice day with jess and her family. i am so happy to see her so happy.

    chewy, we share that crisp wind! thanks for the good wishes. xo

    cs, of course you understand. we are quite alike when it comes to our kids. xo

    snowbrush, thank you so much. you can also hurt when you love deeply, but i think it's just damn worth it.

    sidney! you're back! i'm glad! xoxxo!

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  17. Thanks so much for the "vote of confidence" that I read in your last comment to me...sometimes I am my own worst critic...

    This post is awesome! It is so you, the you I know just a little, but it says everything, truly everything that a mother must feel (and how I have recently felt about my kitties that come home)...

    Lovely to see the photos, too!

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  18. Oh, KJ! Amen to that fantabulous poem! That's the power of a mother's love, so beautifully written.

    Hope you had a GREAT Mother's Day!

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  19. Without the linchpin, KJ, The wheels fall off, the ships rudder lays over to the side and the boat goes in circles.

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  20. wonderful KJ - wonderful.

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  21. If I bet and lose I tell them to take me to small claims.

    Glad you had fun. We had a great day too.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  22. Karen, you expressed a mothers love beautifully. My youngest is a Jessica and I have an antique old german clock. Cool!

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  23. What a beautiful gift to your daughter! She must love this :) You are most generous to share with all of us! Thank you my friend

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  24. teri, thank you very much. i'm glad this post is 'so me' because finally that's actually who and all i want to be! :)

    bella, i thought of you on Mother's Day. i knew you'd understand this poem!

    walking man, you're right... i need that linchpin and so do the people and critters i love...

    mim, when are you picking lo up? i want to be sure to have cupcakes in the house.... xo!

    renee, hahaha! that's exactly jess' approach.

    tammy! how are you?!

    val, i don;t think jess has read this poem! she only looks at the pictures on my blog. go figure.
    ps love you

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  25. you little troublemaker!! love ya

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  26. true mothers
    teach us how to love
    m(e 'n)others...


    happy mother's day to you... dearest KJ... you are a true one...

    hugs

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  27. love ya too, mim. and thanks for letting me be a troublemaker...

    dearest hb, you too. you too. xo

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  28. kj - that made me cry. I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks for sharing your beautiful writing. xx

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