Twenty!
20 years have now passed
and It’s hard to believe
That the pain of the loss
is still there with me
As strong as before
but with less memory
But no less the desire though
to talk, touch and see
My mum was integral
as I guess all mums are
But unique in the sense of how far
She would go to show, care for the ones
Who’s families didn’t know
how to cope, how to grow
So they’d come to our home.
I would often wake up
to see we’d expanded
mum dressing and feeding them all single handed
Dad would be pastoring churches quite candid
But mum took the lead with the kids that had landed.
The children would come for a day or a week
Which would stretch to a month,
then the family would seek
an extension and sneak
one more child to the fold
which then led to the spread
of this family so bold.
The amount short term fostered
were 50 or more, then 3 kids adopted
and 3 who stayed for
as long as they wanted
until they could leave
they also had us, my two brothers and me.
Unconditional love was bestowed on us all
Mum had arms that extended to big and to small
and never relented to follow the call
of a life that was giving despite of the gaul
of perpetual illness
and unending pain
the effects of arthritis each day and again
she would never show sadness
or ever complain
as the children came first
and this was her way.
No judgement was given to colour or creed
the focus on loving
whatever the need
giving hope to the helpless
and sowing the seed
of compassion
and healing in action and deed
There are many an adult
who owe her their lives
she rebuilt, reconditioned,
refurbished, revived
the most damaged and broken
the hurt and deprived
the ones who were beaten
and barely survived
yet my mum built them up
so they flourished and thrived
from the love of a mum
from the day they arrived
I’m honoured to tell of my mum
and acquaint her to you and recall
there was never complaint
loving difficult children without a restraint
I know I am biased but my mum was a saint