"Mother's Day" - 5/10/15

one irrefutable phenomenon
we all have in common
whatever differences
or conflicts withstanding
is everyone has a mother

my own mother lost her mother
before I could ever ask her
the myriad questions
I continue to pose to the universe
about why she loves how she does

and why, on darker days,
she hurts in ways the rest of us
only pretend to understand
but because she's always
been such a constant source

of virtually everything I can
imagine from self-belief
to food on the table
to colors I've embraced
to countries I've explored

I have been blessed beyond
any reasonable expectation
and lucky more often than
anyone deserves what's worse
has always been made better

what's lost has been forgiven
what I've destroyed along the way
with recklessness or lack of attention
has been repaired with time
unburdened with three simple words

so often tattooed
from her lips to my ears
whatever differences
or conflicts withstanding
my mother loves me more

than anyone else ever has
and she tells me every time we speak
what matters to her most
the way we both can make an impact

and then of course, we laugh