Mother

Caretaker of the House,

Cooker, Organizer of Paraphernalia,

Player of Music, and Reminder of Kindness;

Motivated, strict, loving,

Mother of our Home:

They tell me your house is small with little room to work and I believe them, for I belong in this

house, smelling every scent there is to smell and touching everything that is there to touch.

They tell me this house is beautiful: with the lamps shining brightly through the windows and the

shrubbery out front cut to its perfect place.

They say they see the order of the crimson bricks and I reply: I see them every day, walking along

the path, or climbing up the trees, facing our house.

They say they see the woman with the basket of laundry, hanging up fabric with clothespins on the

line, maybe tending to the flowers and I turn once more and say: I know that woman from

all my life, you might say I see her daily.

I say: Come and show me another woman who does as much work as this: washing dishes, taking

flower’s care, helping out with our belonging animals, and feeding the hungry mouths that

need food.

No one can be better who does as much work as she, sweet care she gives to all, questions she

asks out of curiosity and care.

As strong as Hercules himself, using this through her mind and body, clever with her soul and

spirits that perform the way she is now,

Caring,

Loving,

Strict,

Firm,

Trying, failing, retrying,

Under the sheet of moon or in the middle of the dusty dawn, finding ways to go through the busy

work of day,

Under the rippling sun with work to do in yards and rapid trips to drive, never giving up through all

the tough times,

Under the scary circumstances of arguments, giving advice and gaining trust through all that she

tries to teach us,

Under the times of impossible, where nothing seems to get done or ever begins to work with

determination and effort,

Smiling!

Smiling the motivated, strict, loving smile of strength, having pride to be Caretaker of the House,

Cooker, Organizer of Paraphernalia, Player of Music, and Reminder of Kindness.