'Missing my MOM' by Jolie Jamz, Jamaica on Facebook

Great Jamaican minds write superb poetry… Important events of arts, culture, law and entertainment and creative happening around Jamaica are listed on this site. See more by scrolling on the front page or clicking calendar in the menu above. Support Jamaica’s creative minds!

Mom is MORE than just a word
it is the woman lying there
beneath that unrepentant earth

Her boned knuckles clutched around
the off-white King James Version Bible
we buried with her
Because it was her favourite book

Though it had leaves that were falling out
it had many verses underlined and I felt
Those words she read to comfort her
during hard times alive
Might help her as she ventured into the unknown

It was that same Bible that fed her Faith
and prayers which she tried to leave with us
As she died without leaving a will,
As what would be the point?
There was nothing to be divided up
or shared anyways!

She lived and farmed on ‘family plots’
of land
handed down
from generation to generation
unerringly

We also buried her with her glasses
Cause she could never see without them
And to this day I am still aghast
That her best friend,
Aunt Dor [Doris] insisted that we gave HER
the glasses
As where ‘Amy was going she naah go need dem!’

I barely held my peace
When some years later,
My brother Dave told me that Aunt Dor who was older than my mother
is now blind
But refuses to die

MOMS make the world seem a better place
Less frightening somehow
She is tangible.. visible confirmation
of the ‘medium’ via which we entered this world
The ceremonial goddess whose ‘templed’ body
‘hosted’ our 2nd most important rite of passage.

My mom’s bosom held icy mint sweeties
Unless they were in her black bag hung on a nail behind her bedroom door.

#Remembering and Missing my mom

Author Profile

Anthea

... qualified & experienced in journalism, creative writing, editing, the arts, art critique, paralegal, photography, teaching, research, event planning, motivational speaking, workshops for children and adults, visual arts etc. Click here for contact form. ...or email me here