Dear Mother

How did you know to sing to us?
Each night before we slept,
Keeping nightmares at bay.

How did you know when I needed help?
Trying to climb over rocks,
Trying to catch up to everyone else.

How did you know to let me be?
Sleeping under blankets on the couch,
Cocooned in warmth and safety.

You knew when to laugh
And when to hold.
You knew how forgive
And when to scold.

Now there is this tiny creature
Growing inside of me.
And I do not know how
To be the mother I am supposed to be.

How will I know when to stay
And when to let them go?
How will I know the right way to love
And how to help them grow?

I am so afraid that I cannot fill
This role I have been given.
One that you seemed to do
Without doubt or indecision.

Maybe all I really need
Is to remember how you helped me through.
With guidance and care,
I hope to be as great a mother as you.