Poem for a Mother
Write a poem for your mother that draws on real memories rather than generic devotion. Free, no sign-up, and fully editable.
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Writing a for a mother poem
Poems for mothers are the hardest to keep honest, because the available language is so heavily worn. Every card already says selfless, always there, my rock. A poem gets to do something a card cannot, which is be particular.
Three things that make it work
Pick a room and a time
The kitchen at seven in the morning. The car outside school. Memory attaches to places, and a located memory is instantly more vivid than a summarised quality.
Let her be a person
Her impatience, her terrible driving, the things she was wrong about. A poem that allows a mother flaws is warmer than one that makes her a saint.
Say the thing you do not usually say
Most families have a sentence that goes unspoken. A poem is a legitimate place to put it.
What to avoid
Sacrificing everything, never complaining, the best mum in the world. She will like being seen more than being ranked.
An example
You sang badly and loudly in the car and would not stop when we asked, then begged. I drive that road now with the radio off. I am not sure which of us was right.