I remember…
My mother used to say…
“At night I would stroke
your forehead
And send you to sleep..”
And I notice
Amid all the sound and fury
And protest
As the last tears are
Squeezed from eyes
(Including my own)
When everything has been tried
And I sit alone
In chaos
My own child
Closing sleepy long lashes
With each stroke
This is a gift
This caress of my mother
And her mother
It will be mine long after I have gone
Each stroke
A brush with memory
“Being at home can be fun, insulating, relaxed, boring or isolating ... depending on how the day is going.”*
School holidays are almost over in my part of the world – six long weeks of noise and squabbling balanced by hot, lazy days at the beach or the pool with lots of daring exploits and laughter. Many of our days were spent at home, basking in simple pleasures like baking, playing games or outdoor pursuits – trying to relax the everyday routines of school-morning bustle and ‘having to be somewhere on time’. However pleasant, I must admit to being relieved that life gets back to normal next week, and I can reclaim some of my own time for writing again!
* From Being Mummy by Anne‑marie Taplin published April 2007