A Mother's Day Poem
Maybe your mom
is your best friend
maybe you haven't spoken
in a decade
maybe you never met her
maybe she died
violently
or peacefully
maybe you'd do anything
to be able to see her
maybe she taught you
to trust yourself
maybe she taught you
to doubt yourself
maybe she struggled
in ways you still don't understand
maybe she left you a legacy
of sea glass and serrated edges
maybe her laugh echoes
when you laugh
maybe she made the best bread
and knew when to back off
maybe she always called
at just the right time
maybe you never said
the things
maybe you said
all the things
maybe she was harsh or soft
maybe she stood her ground
maybe you're nothing alike
maybe you're her spitting image
maybe you're numb
or indifferent
No matter what this day means
no matter who mothered you
no matter how you got here
you matter
You're allowed to miss her
You're allowed to take space
You're allowed to celebrate
You're allowed to feel hurt
You're allowed to be angry
You're allowed to remember
the sweet moments
and the painful ones
You're allowed to have a whole
mother
and to be a whole person
and to let there be room
for the vast and wild
imperfections
that make us
so human.
{2018}