Thanks
You picked up the phone when I called
Asked about my kids, my life
Messages decorated with hearts and flowers
You looked up at me smiling as I taught,
Encouraging a longer explanation
No, this lesson isn’t boring us
Painted me pictures,
Wrote me letters and left them on my desk,
Brought me plants and mugs and candles,
A cream for cuticles that I mistook for
Lip balm – It worked great though –
Stood and clapped and hollered for me
Watched my children when I was too ill to stand
Made supper with potatoes and gravy
Because it would stay down
Told me to quit when I was hunched over,
Dizzy and sick from anxiety –
It’s ok to stop. Life will go on.
Thank you for walks in parks
Coffee chats
Sweet potato fries with dips
For holding the door when I come in with groceries
And getting the rest from the car –
Rubbing my aching feet
Giving me anniversary cards, saying to
Please buy some new clothes
And “You, rest. I’ve got this.”
Thank you for carefully drawn
Mother’s Day cards
Making sure to draw deep lines under my eyes
Hugs from small arms, and
Mom, can you sleep here tonight?
Can you sing another song?
No more books. Your eyelashes curl gently, the
Sweaty hair pushed back
A stuffy or a blanket hugged tight.
Thanks for coming to the table
Building forts and cleaning the chicken coop
Letting me hold the hose to flood the rink
For leaving early, staying late
Smelling of gasoline and leaves
Sweeping up the coffee grounds
Thank you, all the faces I love,
Who fill the days and hours of my life
In person or walking through my mind.
Not grateful enough probably for turkey or mashed potatoes
I don’t care for hymns about Thanksgiving
They are hard to play
I am thankful for all the kindness that has stretched
In lines and hugs and words and smiles
Each small and precious little thing
Across the table, across the miles –
From me to you, and you to me.
Stories for Humans 