I wrote this poem when my sister, Marian's, mother-in-law died. We all called her Mama K. She was an amazing woman who farmed strawberries and raised her children, alone, in a small town outside of Hammond, Louisiana. Mama K had a heart that was easily made glad. What a blessing that is, to be always grateful, for even the simple things, like a slice of lemon cake. She used to tell me, "You look prettier than the last time I saw you," and she was always glad to see me, even in a hard part of my life when few people were.
Mama K is one of the souls I hope to see when I cross over to the Afterlife. She will welcome me to Heaven with her sweet, delighted smile, and a piece of lemon cake in her left hand. Her right hand, of course, will be reaching out to help me get in.
I miss her still, and not only at Christmas... Marina
To Mama K
To Mama K
You should be here with us
It’s Christmas
And no one else
Has your beautiful way
Of being grateful
For simple things.
Only the angels
And a few special souls
Are wise enough
To understand what’s important.
I miss your pleased smile
And bright happy eyes.
I wish you were here
To share lemon cake with me.
There was a time, long ago, you know
When I was sad about many things
And no one seemed to have much good to say
To me, or about me
To me, or about me
But whenever you saw me
Your kind eyes looked inside of me
Seeming to like what they saw, and
You would tell me I was prettier than before.
I never thought to tell you
How much that meant to me.
But you probably knew
Wise souls always do, and
You’d had more than your share of sorrows.
Now lucky Heaven has you
And you’ve surely found
A spot for a garden
You were never one to be idle.
You always worked so hard
Probably too much
Never complaining
Just wanting to care for your family.
We miss your smile and your love
But I know you’re happy there
Were your strawberries good this year?
Perhaps when it’s my time
You’ll smile on me once more
And open a back door to Heaven
So I’ll be sure to get inside.
