What I Should Have Told My Mom When I Was Twenty-five
Before she died, I don’t think
I appreciated all my mother did for me until I left home.
I would thank her for keeping the house so clean,
I get mine dusted, vacuumed once a month,
I am lucky to dust mop the dog hairs.
No more tears
I didn’t know how much energy
it took to keep the house clean, laundry done,
grocery shopping; now I run out of energy
with any of these tasks.
No more tears
After my brother and I left,
she took care of the barn
and horses: feeding,
turning out, mucking the stalls.
No more tears
I thank her for going forward
even though her hands were ravaged
by arthritis. Her stoicism amazed me
even when in the nursing home,
even with her last words:
no more tears
Heron Clan XI
Apr 24
