Mother's Day

My mother Sally standing at the sink
My sister Susan standing to the side
Drying the freshly washed dishes
Before antibacterial soap
And dishwashers.

Both dressed in housecoats
What a silly concept
Housecoats

They smiled
Frozen in time
Mother and daughter
Young and indestructible

Mom now standing behind the card-table
Filled with ceramic earrings and pins
She made from antique butter molds
Or something like that
Selling at the church bazaar

Ma, my father’s mother,
Sat next to her
At her own table
Braiding rugs and chair seats
From our discarded clothing
My daughter Gracie wears the earrings today
The rug is on the living room floor upstairs

Mamoo, my mother’s mother,
Collected political memorabilia
“I Like Ike”, “Tippicanoe and Tyler Too”
I stayed home from school to watch her
On Dave Garaway’s “Morning Show”
Showing off her collection.
The next guest played the national anthem
Rubbing his thumbs on wine glasses.
That was more impressive.

My wife, Christine,
mother of our children,
Sits at the sewing machine
Working on a quilt
Another stitch in the fabric of life
Another picture for the scrapbook

Mother’s day, just another day ...

Copyright May 2006, E. Bond Francisco