Monday, July 28, 2014

A WORK OF ART

We had a memorial service for my mom yesterday. She died on July 18, 2014 at the age of 88.  I knew I would not be able to speak about her without crying like a baby so I wrote this poem. My son-in-law, Brad, read it as part of the service.


Dear master artist,

            Could you possibly make

An art piece about our mom,

            But what could you make?

More than just a painting

To display her beauty on;

How about a mobile, that’s art,

With lots of moving parts?

What would we use

To represent our mom?

She wore so many hats,

            How can we choose?

 

 

For sure a spool of thread,

Cause she held us all together,

And needles, a variety of kinds…

Not just for sewing,

But knitting, crocheting and

            Don’t forget her tatting.

She didn’t just make us clothing

            To look our very best,

She decorated all our homes

            To make our nest the best!

Whatever her endeavor,

Her style and perfection always did shine through.

 

 

There will have to be a book,

For she was always reading one.

She was our source of knowledge,

            But don’t forget the fun.

Histories were her favorite

            But so was Dr. Seuss!

She read everything from Hannibal

To good old Mother Goose.

 

 

We can’t forget the garden,

            Her favorite place to be!

There needs to be wildflowers,

            But which ones would they be?

How about a bluebonnet? Or a purple-red wine cup?

And don’t forget the yarrow.

Can we stop at only three?

            We’ll work that out tomorrow.

 

 

 

I can hear the grandkids screaming, “Cookies!

            That’s who our grandma was!”

She made so very many: wreaths and candy canes,

            Pinwheels, tassies and mincemeat tarts.

The recipes we have

            But not her smarts!

Her number one ingredient…love,

Straight from her heart.

 

 

Add a bird because she loved her feathered friends,

            She’d watch their feedings with great delight.

She’d find their names in her book

            And keep watch if squirrels came into sight.

She taught us to watch the robin

 As he listened for his worm

And laugh at the little wrens flitting

As they waited their turn.

 

 

We need to add a bunny.

            They were her newest friends.

They lived under the bushes,

            Outside her window, where the sidewalk ends.        

Big ones and baby ones

            Hopping all over the place.

Two boxing bunnies were her favorites.

            They’d put a smile on her face.

 

 

We need to add some tiny bells

            To add a cheerful sound,

Cause Mama added laughter

            When ever she came around.

Everyone who knew her

            Will remember her laughter best,

For her gift to make us giggle

            Seemed to be her greatest quest.

           

 

Add to the mix a crystal,

A cut crystal heart.

For Mama collected crystal

For its beauty and its art.

It could spin and reflect the sunshine,

To make a rainbow on the wall,

Bringing beauty and color,

            But most of all…

To help us remember Mama

And her love for us all.

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