My Mother

Her hair long and lush
Countless vines wisp
From her head down to her wrinkled raisin shoulders.

Her soft hands
The deltas of rivers spread out.
The remains of a life
Full of expedition and adventure.

Her all-seeing eyes
Bright and shiny with happiness
From a thousand rays from the sun
Providing hope for the hopeless.

Her aged skin
Wrinkled hills and plains
Aged with the marks of a timeless life
Filled with the hopes and dreams of many.

Her warm embrace
A flock of birds surrounding me
Filled with protection for all her
Children of the world.

Originally published in Harvest, 2012