This poem is for my mom—an intelligent, fun, beautiful woman who could have done anything she wanted. But she chose to be Mom to my five siblings and me, not just in her free time, but 24/7. The gift of growing up with her is one that I will treasure forever. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you. ❤
We have a glass ceiling at our house—
Crystal beauty
Above our heads.
It belongs to Mom,
And it’s been there as long
As I can remember,
Spotless and shiny.
We ate beneath it
When she dished out love
With beans and cornbread.
We sat cross-legged beneath it
When she read to us
In the warm glow of morning.
We laughed and played beneath it
When she took a break
From her endless work to make us smile.
We slept beneath it,
Feeling safe after a nightmare
Because she was there.
Mom could have shattered
That beautiful glass ceiling.
She could have pierced
The surface with a sound like chimes.
She could have made the shards fall,
Shimmering in the sunshine,
Filling our home with diamonds.
The sight would have awed us all.
But she never wanted to.
I think she knew
That we would cut
Our feet on broken glass
And shiver when the rain came in.
And so the glass remains,
And in its light
You can see Mom singing
With a broom in hand,
Happier than she would have ever been
Above the glass.