patches

my mother is eighty today
and I wonder how she does it
and keeps doing it
for all these years
like how many times has she been right?
or how many times did she patch 
the knees on a pair of blue jeans?

she had a way of patching things
that outwore the original fabric
sometimes I feel that she has patched me that way many times
and those patches...kind words, 
warm hands on my forehead,
tea and toast for my fevered days 
home from school, 
cards in the mail for no reason at all 
all those patches are stronger than the rest of me
 
and when I am torn 
hurt by the strain of life
the tear runs into one of those Mom patches
stitched so deep and strong it cannot tear
threads of love stronger than steel
heavier than cutting words and deeds
and I am held together
resistant to those life storms 
in a way only a Mothers love can do

Mom is eighty today
yet she is as young as forever
as strong as those patches of love
worn proudly and daily
keeping the world in its place

© Chuck Beals   -June 2000