Our Mother

Our mother amused us
With her wit and humor
And trained us to value
Art, literature and music.
She came from a culture
That values education
Above faith or formula,
She taught us to question.
She gave up her family
And friends to start a
New life with our father,
His family, friends and us.
She was raised to shine
In educated company
And had minimal practical
Skills in domestic efficiency,
She bore six children who
Survived and each was
Given a place in her heart.
On our birthday she would
Take us out for lunch,
Sometimes at a St.Louis
Department store cafe,
An enormous occasion,
And we received her
Full attention for a day.
She learned the skills
Of raising children with
Our grudging help.
On the train to Texas
A stop in 1957 East Texas
Allowed us half an hour
To play in the park,
We came back to tell
Her there was rainbow water
But it was just plain water,
She herded us back on
The train and explained
What a colored only
Water fountain was.
She explained the
World to us with
A bias toward
Tolerance and
A love of the Arts.
She gave us love and
We drove her half mad.
She announced one day
She would never go
Upstairs again and there we
Could live as we pleased.
She drew a sketch of two
Clams and with bubbles
Rising from one saying
“John, speak to me.”
And another of Fall leaves,
“The leaves! The Leaves!”
Only the wind listened.
She would tell us we
Would miss her one day,
And she was right.
I have talked in
Dreams with others
Who came back,
But never her.