Mother me New

I broke it
bouncing
a basketball
down the stairs-
a priceless vase
shattered
to brittle bits bare
She yelled, but
didn’t kill me
I was impressed

How’d she do it?
Get us up, feed us,
send us off to school,
hold jobs both in music
and real estate, to boot!
She must have pined
for somewhere mellow
while managing house,
cat, dog, fish, hamsters
and who knows what else of!
respite delayed
for love infused

I never heard a complaint
At least I don’t remember
Only the image of
Platinum Glamor

As I matured
I turned out fine
but pushed her away-
forgetting the pampering
soft forgiving
comforting acceptance
which gave my core
the strength to forge new days,
sputter on my own fumes
But she was there-
fuel beneath the surface
of my confidence

I never heard a complaint
At least I don’t remember
Only the image of
Platinum Glamor

When I faltered
slipped through a crack
a feather cushion caught me
no reproach, just
“You’re back.”
comfort began
exactly where
I had ended it-
always there
bending, new

Now I’m where she
used to be
I’m happy to give back
learning to bend
ready to be her cushion-
yet learning,
still, from
her resilient
spirit burning
barely a complaint
from Platinum Glamor

But sometimes-
my heart-
falters-
when
she gazes
(agelessly)
through fading eyes.