July 20, 2011

Dedicacion a mi Madre

Her brightly colored nails hold the knife
and aid in slicing the sweet plantain into thin pieces
The gray hairs glimmer and frame her face
It'll be a few more days before she breaks out the Miss Clariol
to help disguise them.

Scents of arroz con pollo float around the kitchen
This is her domain
Within their modest townhouse


She learned how to multitask while raising three children
How to cure booboos, scold bad moments but mostly
her life lessons where showing love while sacrificing mental tranquility
and teaching things seldom learned elsewhere


There are scars within and throughout her body, from private battles:
A hysterectomy, another a shoulder injury and others too many to name
And an illness, which threatens her very life
"No le tengo miedo a la muerte", she proclaims
And though she does not fear death, I fear losing her
No matter how many times she makes me grit my teeth
When talking about things I should and shouldn't do


Yet at this moment, her peace is found in cooking her food
Worries will come later
Fears will be contained
Problems don't exist
For now there are the sounds and smells of life continuing
From within their modest townhouse

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