a mother's [poetry]

yesterday was mother's day, and with my sister being in town, we were both discussing ways we were thankful for our mom.

as much as we hated it at the time, my sister was thankful our mother never had any pop in the house. pop was reserved for special occasions, and vacations. i wouldn't go as far as to say i was "thankful" for this, but i do think it was a good idea. it kept us off sugar, and avoided indulging in unhealthy calories. however in college, i had my refrigerator stocked with dr. pepper non stop, eliminating any healthy benefits i gained as a child.

what i was thankful for, i didn't appreciate until just a few years ago. while waiting for the bus to pick us up for school, my mom would read shel silverstein poems to us. let me rephrase that, she didn't just read the poems, she would add voices and actions as well. if it was a particularly funny poem, she would burst into laughter upon finishing, making the poem all that more enjoyable for us.

now as a kid, i just thought they were funny poems. it wasn't until recently i started to appreciate shel's unique style. his poems and stories dealt with a lot of emotions and situations, ranging from death, fear, greed, and selfishness to peace, love, unity, and friendship, all presented though in a very "real" style, using slang, and even some slight profanity. discovering all this, i'm very thankful for my mom, for instilling this very "hip" literature in us when we were young. as much as i'd love to say the poetry of shel silverstein had a direct effect on me, i know it had more to do with spending a few quality minutes with my mom every morning.

happy mothers day mom.

a few of the more memorable poems