Mother’s Day 2019
A mother is one thing and more, blessing the world
with her full womb. She is radiant, a portion of moon –
all she sees she embraces. She is rooted, a tree with many
arms reaching for the sky spangled with chameleon stars.
She is hard to please, but I need her whetstone to sharpen
my sword. I need her good nose to sniff out evil inside me.
This is not a prayer. It is fact.
*
Without a mother, who or what would I be?
A wingless angel, an orphan of God, counting
on his mother to save me.
I still do.
*
Crossing bridges to nowhere, I cross back. Dark clouds
balloon over the earth. I am afraid to brave the outside,
join the world. But my mother turns softly to me & holds
me, draws a line through my back to silence fear. Zipped
up tight, confidence tucks me deep into the heat of sleep.
*
A mother is consolation in the wake of tears, of lowering
daddy’s coffin deep into the center of a mowed lawn. But she
is not forever. Her time will disappear like him. She will pass
on someday tomorrow, nice & neat blossom. Be guided to rest
on the nonsense lines of my plush palm. Then, once, I’ll sing
her favorite melody. Cleanse my front teeth with a holy tongue.
& watch her smile spread like serum into every dip of skin.
*
In the next life, mother will be a salmon leaping upstream,
dodging bears. Her scales will break the coursing river, wide
eyes will flash silver. The sun will spin forth a phoenix & orange
flames will sink to earth. A fifth season will emerge from the ashes.
Sarah Marissa Marquez is an MA candidate at Southern New Hampshire University. Their work is forthcoming in Amethyst Review. When not writing, they can be found reading, sipping coffee, or tweeting @Sarahmarissa338.
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