An ode to the woman who first loved us and without whom we would be . . . well, we would not be!!
ODE to MOM
Oh, the joy, toil, and tribulations of Momdom,
Will be heard till doth come the Kingdom.
Band aids, blue jeans, doors ajar, toys astray,
Loud noises, barking dogs, squeals, rooms in disarray.
Runny noses, bloody noses, bee stings, tummy aches,
Bugs, frogs, worms, spiders, snakes, and cookie bakes.
Dirty clothes, stains, rips, tears, holes in the knees,
Doctors, dentists, school supplies, and endless fees.
Bike’s broken, homework’s lost, fractured leg’s in a cast,
Star Trek’s on TV - (Oh, Lord, beam me up!), hi-fi’s a’blast!
Trying to listen as Junior explains his rock collection,
Igneous, sedimentary, meta (something), with affection.
This one’s a trilobite fossil, 200 million years old,
And that one’s obsidian, black glass – aren’t they bold!
Searching for missing socks, books, and raffle tickets,
Finally, they’re off! Oh, don’t forget your sticky wickets!
Scrubbing sills, woodwork, and furniture in every room.
On tip toes while expecting any moment a big boom.
Washing and scrubbing clothes outback in a big black pot,
Over a few coals from a waning fire about to go out.
Baby sounds, sobs, screams, mom flayed to exasperation,
Kids quarrelling, playing; singing, coloring, laughing,
With toys, puzzles, games, and all that is fascination.
A silent witness to the kids whooping it up with grandpa,
who knows how to tickle, chuck, lift, toss, and do tricks,
tell secrets, make jokes, matches riddle for riddle – Ha, ha!
He knows where the hens lay their eggs and hide the dibby chicks.
Alas, the toil, strife, and tribulations . . . never on hold,
But hark! Not all is lost to strife and tribulation,
The investment dividends increasing . . . a hundred-fold.
There is much to proudly hail, O, joyful celebration!
Oh, the innocence of those sleeping faces,
Beguiling the swift mischievous paces,
Energy, adventure, questions, and daydreams,
Of all those little ones we love, it seems!
So, youngsters, far from being lost, you see,
We merely leave ourselves behind in thee!!!
Thanks for loving us, Mom! We love you!!
by Ben C. Crawford (c. 1983 Rev. May 2024)
(Revision, in part, adapted from Tillie Olsen’s
“Tell Me a Riddle”, printed in “Fifty Best
American Short Stories”)
Ben,
Great tribute to all the Mom's! I could easily fill three to four 12 point typewritten pages about my Mom and the amazing accomplishments she did in her lifetime. Ditto for my deceased wife, Linda, who passed away just over 7 years ago. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, they were the two best, sweetest, loving and caring ladies who influenced my life in so many positive ways - well, as Paul Harvey would say, ..........you most likely "know the rest of the story"!
