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.
