Wheels of Time

November frost glaciates the old diamond willow

Deep within the thicket, a House Finch shivers

Emaciated, the songbird weakly heralds a sunrise

Notes ringing off a snowbank are echoes of love 

Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day  

Hobbled, arthritic kitty cuddles a warm fireplace

Saddened eyes, adoration for a loving companion

Peaceful moments birthing blackened skies

Dream-filled wishes cannot reverse the clock

Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day

Child tortured by the butchery of starvation

Distended belly, fractured emaciated spirit  

Hollow lifeless eyes, supplications to death

Final breath, her ultimate heartbeat rendered

Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day

Crystal vase cradles a bouquet of withered roses

Morosely sullen, pink blooms wilt dull brown  

Garden to glass, refuse bag to the mulch pile

A vibrant beauty we loved, admired, appreciated

Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day

Bedridden, a wolf consuming my helpless beloved  

Bloodied teeth bespoiling her weakened flesh

Within a winter garden, pain governs the spirit

Blanket this bedevilled woman with quietude

Surrendering to this moment

Gratitude for this day

Deeds, carriage, messengers of her graceful living

Distant, I admire Mother's resplendent courage

Profound lessons embroidered by her resilience 

Standing tall, her legacy is a beacon I will follow

Surrendering to death

Gratitude for life 

Written as a tribute to my dying mother, this poem bends a knee to her resilience, gracefulness and loving nature. Reckoning with her imminent death, I reach for loving gratitude as I surrender to the inevitable. 

Within the first stanza, the simile of a House Finch honours our mutual love of songbirds. November represents the winter of my mother's life, whilst the bird's frailty mirrors her struggle with cancer. The songbird's herald speaks of my mother's uncanny ability to reach for love as her vitality diminishes.    

Mother and I both love cats, therefore the use of a cat metaphor appropriately invokes images of my mother's weakened state. The cat's adoration reflects the abundant love my mother has for her partner. Gracefully, even during the wildest of storms, my mother and her partner move toward her death with calm surrender. Mother's unflappable spirit has taught me there is no need to cry for more time. 

The African child in stanza three I met in the Sahara. For one hapless week, I embarked upon a futile effort to stave off his death. His emaciated corpse tortured my spirit for many years. To represent a metaphor to my mother, within this poem, the boy is referenced as a girl. As with the child, I must surrender to the weakened state of my mother as well as my utter helplessness to spare my mother from the eventuality of painful final years. Reaching for the African experience, I seek to gracefully accept my mother's physical decline. 

The wolf consuming my mother's flesh is a metaphor referencing the rigours of lung cancer. Battling cancer, my mother once told me, "This cancer has a right to live within me; it too is battling for life." My mother wanted rid of cancer, but somehow she found a way to surrender to its presence. Incredible was this lesson.  

The final stanza speaks to the awe I feel when witnessing my mother's remarkable nature. Her ability to gracefully surrender to the chaos of life has provided me with many valuable lessons. Against all odds, my mother beat her lung cancer. She survives to this day, but I do see an unassailable frost on the old Willow.  

Walking through our lives, we will endure many challenges. When faced with trials and tribulations, fear and love will both reach for our spirit. Our path forward can reflect grace or chaos. Holding gratitude in my heart, I try to replace fear with love. Reconciling my mother's imminent death is so very difficult. Standing at the cliff's edge, I embrace my mother's lessons of gratitude and surrender.