“Green sap of Spring in the young wood-a-stirWill celebrate the Mountain Mother,
And every song-bird shout awhile for her!”
- from "The White Goddess" by Robert Graves
Beautiful Mountain Mother,Who makes the ferns of my heart unfurl,
Though we set aside this one spring day
To pay tribute to you,
The whole vernal season sings your honor –
Each flowering seed nourished by the warm earth
Opens tender palms in gratitude.
Today everything reminds me of you –
The smell of my kitchen,
The shape of my hips.
In a poem I read as a student and disdained
Anne Sexton said “a woman is her mother
And that is the main thing.”
A poem I read this morning and devoured
Said, “We lived together
In a single skin” and
“It was only a form of you
My poems were seeking.”
My life is a poem.
But what form?
The slender nymph
Perched impossibly in a doorframe?
The silver-haired daughter hovering
At her mother’s shoulder?
A sunbrowned face
And proud grandmother smile?
All these,
And none of them:
Mountain Mother,
Etched in whimsy and light,
Collector of creek stones
And snail shells.
No words,
No salt from my hands,
Could capture your wild heart.
I love you,
Kate
6 comments:
Dry your eyes little Mountain
Mother, Your little Mountain
Daughter had thought about you all
day and put it on paper.
Like your Father, you are taller
than mountains, with your lovely
gray hair blowing with the breeze.
Mom
Couldn't have said it better, Nana. .....
Thanks, Kate for capturing the pure essence of our mother.....I, too, have those reminders.....life couldn't be richer.
Kim
I am humbled by this day. Early morning greeted me with cards so efficiently sent from Mary and Mike plus one each from Joe and Isabelle. Then there was a touching, hand written, card of thanks from Terr. At church Kim got up and came over to sit beside me so I could hear her sing. I usually sit by the grandchildren but she has heard me say how it thrills me to hear her song of praise in church and she honored that. (She also spent a lot of time carefully covering a box in wrapping paper, the kind we like to open, that housed a gift she knew I would like. Andrew put together a CD of his favorite music to give to me and Emily brought me a stone incrusted frog on a silver chain. Not a bad morning that started and it off with hugs and kisses from Kristin and the boys who were here from California to celebrate Kristin and Alan’s official engagement!
Around three o’clock everyone was gone and it looked like the day was over when Shannon and Molly called with good wishes, I got an email from Beth, talked to my own Mother and Mike, Mary, Joe and Issy knocked at my door! It was a joy to spend some time with them, especially since Terr had to leave with Kris to catch a plane of his own, for an early morning mediation, out of town, tomorrow.
I had heard from everybody but Kate…then, as if by magic, the voice mail message sound, coming from my cell phone and a message telling me to look on Chatterbox. You all can see that I found a post I didn’t write!
To Kate…
Perhaps only you understand my "wild heart", but it has long ago been captured and contained by my children. Each bringing something unique and wonderful to my very being. With my birth daughters I can see the best of my dreams and I get glances at my best physical self from years gone by. Thank you for seeing me, thank you letting me dream my wildest dreams (just a little) through you. Thank you for sharing with me your gift of words. I will treasure them.
I love you,
Mom
To Mama,
Yeah, but I'll never replace the Queen! I'm so glad you are my Mother. God bless you!
To Kimberly,
You are most lovely, gracious, generous and kind. Thank you for being exactly what I need.
Oh Kate, what a master of words you have. Beautiful tribute to your wonderful mother.
That's a great poem Kate! And it is so so true. I love you both!
--andrew
Post a Comment