Mother's Day Poem (2019) - To the woman who dreamed of becoming a mother

To the woman who dreamed
I’m taking a risk
By saying this phrase
But you need to know
I see your hidden desire
The possible joy
They took from you
I can’t imagine the feelings
The years of tears
The fears
The regrets
The shame that isn’t yours to carry
The longing to hear the word “Mom”
To wake up this morning
To a card
A gift
Little feet
A little voice
Long ago you made a choice
To save your life
Perhaps you would
Choose a different path
Now that you know
So I grieve for you this morning
I grieve with you
I sense the child who isn’t there
The void in your arms
The secret feeling of despair
Hope lost
But I also see something
Beautiful and great
You would have made the BEST mother
I can tell
I can see it when you love your husband
When you adopt a Baby Bird
How you nurture it
Delicately
Faithfully
So much care and patience
Despite Hell’s scars
Yes
You ARE a great MOTHER
A mother of many
Many Birds
Many friends
Yes you have many friends
Some don’t realize it yet
Many little works of art
Brushes and paints
Needles and threads
Inspirations of every kind
This world needs you
All of you
All of them
Every heart you touch
Every community you explore
Every church you plant
Every truth you tell
To those who don’t want to hear
And to those who do
So know
Please know
That what you gave up
Gave way
To being the mother of MANY
Including me
So I say
Please hear
From the child in me
Who sees because of you
Happy Mother’s Day!

Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash