Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration here.    

What’s your part?  Just slow down a little and come along for the read–or sometimes, for the listen.  If you’d like to tell us what the day’s poem means in your life, or what word or phrase you’ve chosen to reflect on, or where those reflections have taken you, we would be honored. 

Today is Mother’s Day, and the broad array of poetry about mothers isn’t surprising.  What other relationship has more impact on our lives?  Whether we revered or mistrusted the women who gave us life or raised us, they still reside deep within us .  We struggle to be like them or we struggle to be as different as possible.  We greet Mother’s Day with tears or laughter, but always with memories.

To My Mother, by Wendell Berry, expresses so beautifully the acceptance the best mothers give their children.  I was particularly drawn to the ending, and the poet’s vision of Heaven.  I hope you, too, will find comfort and pleasure in reading this one. 

Remember that since this link comes from The Writer’s Almanac, you can choose to hear Garrison Keillor read the poem by clicking on “Listen.”

Thank you for reading with us today, and if you choose to comment, thank you for that, as well.