At five foot five she's a giant:
Personality, passion, presence
Belittles many
Her humour is ageless
her laughter contagious
her kindness is unselfishly abundant

She's wise, her school was life
The ruthless teacher
Mother, woman, friend
You'd have to travel far and wide
to find her equal:
She stands alone

Her hands long-lost softness
have their own story to tell
Those scuffed knees
never the product of vanity
have an affinity to polished floors

Her soft-lined abdomen
devoid of elasticity:
tell the tale of six young
had no time for firming exercise

Her eyes - I've seen those eyes
in many a mood
I fear those eyes when anger filled
I've seen them in kindness as they soften
and they've been close to tears
of both happiness and sadness

When I was a child
she was a necessity
someone who fed, washed and clothed me
woke me up in the morning
and put me to bed

As a teenager I rebelled
I thought she was always wrong
and I was in the right...
I felt endlessly victimised, critised and chastised

It wasn't until I could reason:
an outsider looking in
that I could appreciate
her scolds, prohibitions
And well-aimed slippers
performed all in the name of love.

Mother I salute you
For your sacrifice
For there were times when I believed
You were doing far from good
Now I see you
for the fine human being that you are
And I beam with pride

Now I know
What I am
What I hope to be
Is all due to you.