Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Love & Dreams (My Mother's Day Poem, 2016)



I struggle still
to speak each of their languages.

You’d think I’d have it
down by now

for each work in progress,
each work of art--

the one who loves the center,
works with his hands, dreams and speaks in fantasy;

the one who is soft-spoken,
athletic, dependable;

the one who is outside the box,
surprising, hilarious;

the one who is competitive, but tender,
and memorizes more than I’ve ever remembered.

All of them, in the way sons
have a heart for their mothers,

have given me more,
times four, to love

and to dream of
than what I could have alone.


© 2016 Jennifer Wagner


“C’mon, guys, it’s the least we can do--we walked out of her stomach and stepped on her dreams.”  --words of my eldest son to his brothers after I asked them to pose for a photo they were less than thrilled to pose for.  I laughed so hard.

7 comments:

Janet Martin said...

lol! don't you just love 'em!?
thank-you for the beautiful way you voice a mother's heart...totally identify with the beginning and ending.

Buddah Moskowitz said...

This was so wonderful. I read the explanation before I read the poem, and I spit out my soda. Whichever kid said "We walked out of her stomach and stepped on her dreams," obviously inherited your writing talent. They all sound like wonderful young men, and those kind of kids only come from a wonderful momma and poppa. Happy Mother's Day - your poem made me very happy. "More times four" - loved that.

Tank said...

You've captured the kids so well in this poem, Happy Mother's Day to you! I couldn't have dreamed for a better Mom, Wife and Friend. Thank you... Thor

Wendy Bourke said...

This is lovely, Jennifer. Your family centric poems are some of your most evocative pieces - you capture those tender nuances of family so beautifully.

Jody Lee Collins said...

"more times four." wow. Your sons are wise...I wanna see that photo!

janetld said...

I love how you describe your sons here. V. appealing work.

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

Tender and lovely--this pulls at the heart