A Heart To Desire
I see a house that’s quiet
And she sits there alone
Her hands hold patterned pieces
Of cloth she has sewn
Blocks from boy’s printed shirt tails
And girl’s soft flowered silk
Mixed and matched together
To make each child a quilt
Too seldom these precious moments pass
She could call all her own
Times for reflection and prayer
For her family & home
She’d fallen to sleep
The day’s toll had taken;
From the washing, ironing, cooking & baking
Each day a new challenge
A small body to build
A young mind to enrich
Cut fingers to be healed-
Mama could do most everything
Even mend your broken kite
When she bent down to hold you-
Everything got all right
Mama was doctor, big sister
Best playmate & brother
School teacher, good friend
And our sweet mother
Her big lap held us all
When a story she read
She heard prayers, kissed each
Then, tucked all into bed
Mama taught us the bible
She taught us to sing
Throughout our big house
Happy music did ring
She pumped the old organ,
All around her we stood
Blending are young voices
As she knew she could
Her days were full and busy
With five tads to look after
Sometimes there were tears
But, most times the laughter
There were cheeks to kiss
Chubby little hands to smack
Baths to be given
School lunches to pack
So many things to be done
But short was her life
She died so very young
A wonderful mother and wife
With misty eyes and heavy heart
I sorted her personal things
Old keepsakes, letters, pictures and her wedding ring
Not much left to show
For a lifetime of love
But remembered,
Mama stored her treasures-above
She had no time to finish
The stitch on soft silk
So, to each child was left-
Mama’s unfinished quilt.
