ODE TO ANGELA AND ANGELO

I have outlived my own mother,

one like no other, as yours must be ,too.

A mother who labored to bring me to life

then labored every day after

to create a world of joy and laughter,

joined by my father with teasing whiles

who kept a joke ready for when I most needed smiles.

Life struggles were an everyday event

twisted into humor at every bent.

Nothing could really bring us down

so long as we could laugh and play the clown.

Long gone are my parents, to play other venues

where they must have been needed,

while I continue to live honored and feted.

Happy birthday to me, yes, it is indeed

thanks to two people whose love brought forth

a daughter who could never fully explain their worth.

Being loved teaches love of self passed on to others.

Brought to each of us by our fathers and mothers,

if we are lucky enough to join such hearts.

Such love breaks every sorrow apart.

And, love leads to laughter beyond the here-after.

I still feel Dad’s touch tousling my hair

as Mom grunted a sigh of despair

at some forbidden lark I had dared.

I still sense their dismay when I leap into a fray

they would wish I had avoided,

or take a risky challenge simply to brighten my day.

I hear their voices of warning advising how to proceed.

Their teachings continue to meet my every need.

They may be gone beyond my sight

but they continue to live within a greater light

that fills the heart and seeds the mind just right

that I see Dad’s grin on my face as I pass a mirror,

or hear mom’s lilt as I sing at the kitchen sink,

recalling her tilt into dad’s arms as he gave me a wink.

Each day my parents gave to me

is wrapped like a present in distant memory.

I am thankful for the life they gave to me.