An Ode

You were calling me miraculous

Before you knew my name.

I fell asleep to the sound of your voice

Before I took my first breath.

In diapers, you fed me

By the growl of my stomach

And the light of the moon

Your grocery cart at Costco

Was my heaven-free food and free rides.

You made me after school snacks

And wrote my science fair project

All while teaching me about bleeding with the moon

And how to play Fur Elise in A minor and

How that has exactly 7 flats

I dreamt and you loved and

I studied and you loved and

I created and you loved and

I adventured and you loved. And

You loved

You spoke of my accomplishments

Like they were the cures to cancer

When life got dark,

You wiped my tears and

Shed a few of your own as we both hurt

Over lost boys, lost stories, lost pictures

It rained a lot that year,

But you always

Carried an umbrella to keep me dry

When the sun finally rose

You made me scrambled eggs and pancakes.

You called me courage, respect, perseverance

Hours were spent, I know, researching

The best universities and majors and 5-minute recipes

Despite your un-savvy technological abilities

Days were spent baking bread for neighbor children,

Cooking dinners for pregnant ladies and

Weeding their gardens

You cried laughter when I walked in my gown.

You cried hope when I made my first meal on my own.

You cried endurance, love, compassion, service

For every time I tripped and skinned a knee

On the uneven pavement

You are a lifetime pass to any amusement park

And my abs still ache from smiling too much and

My cheeks still sting from catching the sun

You gave me life and pain and chocolate and family

You taught motherhood

You are love

With Love, Auburn