Before We Know Their Names
I wrote this for a friend whose child was in the hospital, and somehow it seems like the perfect poem for Mother's Day...
Ours
We call them to the world
before we even know their names,
before we understand
what it will mean
to lean beside their beds
on breath-thin nights.
They teach us how
to hold their hands,
shut the lights,
pray for dawn.
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Labels: Mother's Day poem, One Stop Poetry, poetry, random acts of poetry
posted by L.L. Barkat at 8:00 AM
22 Comments:
a poem from a mother's heart.
Beautiful, Laura.
Yes.
I read this twice, and came away with two diferent meanings (Cairns would call that a good poem). It could be the mother teaching the child, or it could be the child teaching the mother. Good one, L.L.
a very beautiful Mother's day piece!
Very touching poem. A deep tribute to the mother-child bond.
Glynn made a beautiful point for when I first read this it spoke to me as the child guiding me. I so remember the feelings your writing evoked when my son was in the NICU. Thank you for sharing.
smiles. i learn so much from my little ones...this was lovely.
"breath thin nights"
love this...
Yes L.L. - perfect for Mother's Day.
Sweet and sad, a touching piece all too appropriate for a mother's longing heart. Beautiful dedication to the bond of mother and child.
This poem touched my tender spot. Both of my children are struggling with physical illnesses and my nights fill with thin air and prayer. Thank you!
they are my dawn...thank u for sharing
and to the end shall we learn
You have beautifully captured the heart of a mother, well done!
Truly beautiful Laura -- the the light on the dish in the photo is exquisite.
and... I think it goes both ways. The mother teaches the child and the child always teaches the mother.
'before we know their names' and 'breath thin nights' - the soul of motherhood.
Very thoughtful as well as thought provoking. I am still pondering the idea of calling them forth...lovely
I look at the women pushing stroller or belly-full-of-life walking and I pray for them...such a responsibility!
so beautiful! love this phrase "on breath-thin nights."...having spent two weeks in the hospital with my daughter a few years ago I could really relate to this well.
just posted up on the TS Poetry wall:-)
Those of us with asthmatic children understand the torture of sitting, powerless, with them until dawn on those "breath thin nights."
Such a beautiful distillization of parenthood.
Thank you.
Oh man, this brought the tears up immediately for me.
Mine has taught me all.
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