Mothers Day

Mothering is about taking in

the helpless, the hopeless,

the fragile, the strong lil one,

the funny one,

the one you promised to nurture

beyond your wild dreams . . .

Mothering is also the Superdog . . .

. . . who selflessly keeps watch

of the new one

and the sick one

forgetting that he himself needs watching . . .

Mothering is about great bonding . . .

. . . and wonderful exchanges of calm energies . . .

Mothering is also for the fathers , , ,

. . . like Hughes

who eventually realizes

that it is OK to be a father

and fun to care for one's pup Kizu

especially if that pup loves playing too!

Mothering is best

when one is busy

minding one's business

yet finding your supporters beside you!

The young Kizu on my left:

. . . and Sweepy and Hughes on my right as I read . . .

Mothering is knowing

that we need to be strong,

and to be healthy for our loved ones . . .

. . . because they are relying on you . . .

. . . especially the transients

Petra and Petrocelli on the shed's roof . . .

. . . waiting patiently every day

for whatever you can share with them.

Mothers day is also for people

who are like mothers to us . . .

. . . my senior sisters Loyd and Luchie

even in their retirement years

continue to help in the community.

Nurturing visions and providing for the needs

of retired professional people like themselves.

They live busy lives.

More busy than mine.

Yet they mother me.

Still.

On this weekend

we celebrate Mothers Day

by gorging on the pastries

that they bought on their recent outing:

(now who says retired people live boring lives!)

Yummy tarts: coconut, strawberry and egg tarts

from Tagaytay where my sisters went.

They gave some to the neighbors too.

And the neighbor sent some sweets

in exchange to the one we sent.

Mothering is sharing.

Mothering is also about embracing communities

and people, and animals, and nature

into a throbbing energy 

of intertwined fate.

For all mothers,

stepmothers, mothers-in-law,

teen mothers, absent mothers,

dog mothers, cat mothers,

mother earth and motherland

all sighing with the commercial sphere

of loving quotes . . .

The moon is waxing

the earth is a-firing

the wind howls clumsily

the sun blazes in confusion

the rain pours in torrents

washing our veiled eyes.

. . . have a happy

mothering day.

Make it a monthly thing.

For Felisberta

Rufina

Mathilde

and

Lina

Chito

Felice

Chita

Tina

Denise

Fidelis

Baidy

. . . and all my mothers . . .