The first man, the Bible says, had no mother
He’s the only exception to the rule
that everyone has a mom.
Not only the good daughter
who plans ahead,
but even the wandering, curious pup
the predator swallows,
and even millions of babies who die
of shadowy diseases in ignorance,
all have mothers

The dictator who sent millions
to gas showers had a mother,
someone to see and hear for him
when his eyes and ears could not,
to think before his small mind had a thought,
to tell him stories of the dark universe,
to turn on the light and open the world.

I’ve seen mothers in skirts and pants,
scrubs, fatigues and prison clothes.
I’ve seen them with cigarettes, *****,
crack and rosaries,
with and without rules,
smart, slow, some just children.
Then there’s Sarah, “beyond childbearing years.”

They’ll never unite since no two are alike
except in making men fathers, be they princes
or rogues, and giving everyone life.
But isn’t that the whole world?
Is there anything bigger than being a mother?

Who else can make a child special,
more a person than merely unique,
fully forgiven for the guilt of being born,
accepted as the essential child
by the responsible maker holding life
in her hands?  
Who else can be the face of the world first appearing?
Is cleaning your room the ultimate point,
or is it to love or not to love?
Ask any mother.