Monday, May 10, 2010

mother's day leftovers

i.
the savory pungence of the daughter's cooking
still lingers all over the house.
'faith of our mothers'
indeed...
most days faith has
nothing to do with it
and everything to do with just hanging on.
and here we were laughing
while so many dire things threaten... 
here i am, required to live
all the way through the smooth silky easy
minutes and hours and days
in a stone and mortar house
under the oak trees,
with these memories,
to make meaning
in the work of my soul

ii.
and across the way is another one like me
in the subsaharansomeplaceorother...
with no lesser thing to marvel, nor is
mothering any more or less poignant or beautiful, 
nor the smell of cookery by younger hands
a sweeter more savory memory

so i look far far far and
her look comes back
with the same knowing 
how it all just is
and the deep goodness of it
the way we are made