and dress it in the sugar frosting flowers
she made with her hands as if by magic
I want to write a love poem for your mother
to say her child is beautiful and strong
in the world as more than just a song
or a stone encrusted silver memory
I want to write a love poem for my mother
to tell her all I did not say before or share
in those quiet moments on the telephone
before she found her way beyond the
hurt that tore so suddenly inside her
I want to write a love poem for your mother
over knitting and crochet like the iridescent
silk tie she once gave me when I went to cry
I want to write a love poem to my mother
with the hummingbird whir she left in
my chest as a permanent reminder to love
and love again
I want to write a love poem to them both
a poem that rings with the bright bells of
a birthday Valentine and a gathering of
artisan and healer women at an Eastside
carnival of love like whispers of kindness
a grateful poem that says in no uncertain way
that without each of them, neither one of us
would have ever known what it was like to
once have loved each other.
Día de los enamorados,
el amor y la amistad
2010
