A Poem for Mom

Mom? Can You Hear Me?
Angela Jackson Dick

When I lay myself down at night
As my head hits the pillow and my eyes close
I say my prayers and thoughts usually turn to you
Wondering if I did everything right that day

All the things you taught me
Praying I had I learned what I should
You were my rock, my anchor
The one person I could always count on

Some days, I feel aimlessly lost
Missing something, missing someone
Then I look into the mirror and I find...
It's you, Mom, and you're staring back at me!

More and more, as the years pass
The slightest motions, the words I utter
They remind me so much of you
Cut from the same mold, I'd say!

Yet, in the quiet of the night
Tears well and I remember your touch
Your laughter, the tunes you would sing
The tapping of your fingernails, for whatever reason

I go back to those simpler times...
Times I could do anything because you believed in me
Yet, certain, if I failed, you'd still love me
Can you hear my whispers in the night?

Mom? Mom? Can you hear me?
You are my guiding light, I honor and cherish your memory
Painfully missing you is forever and please know...
Being a child of yours was truly my gift from God!

When I was little and I cried
You lovingly held me, and let the last tear fall
When I would scrape my knee
You'd bandage it up and say "be careful"

When my birthday was horrible, you smiled
And promised the next would be perfect
When I would lose my temper,
You had a way to calm me down

When my friends left me behind,
You gave me ice cream and said "they'll come around"
When I had a nightmare
You'd tuck me in your bed and reassure me you'd never let harm find me

When my first crush liked another,
You made me see it was his loss
Every single Christmas morning,
You made it one I would always remember

When I was overly dramatic about something,
Sweetly you said, "This too shall pass"
When I broke your heart with disappointment
You came to me and said, "I still love you"

I know that you think that I forgot all this,
And take all you sacrificed for granted,
But that's just not true
At times I'm stubborn, just like you,
But never doubt for half a second that I love you

I’m now grown up,
And have to bandage my own daughters’ knees
Oh, the many things you taught me
You'll always be the best mother
And I'll always be your baby girl
Mom? Can you hear me?