Chinese dragon tapestry

Mother of Dragons

Dragons are
terrible beauty;
ruby-fire, sun-gold,
sword-sharp silver claws and
diamond dagger-teeth.

You were so elegant
  dressed for business.
  Your manic starved slimness looked good in knit dresses.
  You loved neat, classy hats.

You were so impressive
  raging against the demon
  politicians
  at 3:30 in the morning.

Dragons guard
created beauty
(crafted golden treasure hoard)
from the violent and destructive
(thugs on horseback)
(unenlightened Nights).

You taught a generation
  of third-graders
  that they could do math
  make art
  write stories
  beyond what any other teacher
  let them do.

Daddy
  was raised in isolation.
  You never let his frozen feelings
  shut your children down.

Dragons breath fire.
Even the blood of the dragon
burns.

Mother
  we never knew
  about the disease that breathed fire
  across your thoughts
  We never knew
  the blood of the dragon
  etched into your tissues
  a little more each day
  long slow fire
  seeping through each joint.

Dragons sing
beauty.
Dragons are masters
of ancient wisdom.

Mother
  at your funeral
  there were distant relatives
  in prosperous suits
  who had come to nod
  at Marjorie's expected doom
  and there were a dozen
  strange women
  Women you had helped
  in finding the path
  from the shadows of the hospital
  back into the world
  Mother
  you knew the shadows so well
  Mother
  you walked the path.

Dragons
fly.

~Anitra L. Freeman

 

Mother's Day Poems