She led me to… Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw 

She led me to
the library, fed stories to my ears
taught me how to keep the family blood circulating
to pull my shoulders back, stand proud

she showed me laughter around the table
camping in cold rain, beauty beyond lipstick
the effective use of stubborn determination

she made a million meals without consideration
flowered apron ready dinners with a smile
Did she even enjoy cooking? 
I don't remember anyone asking her.

She washed clothes, replacing them in drawers
a revolving door of dirty to clean
just another behind the scenes devotion.

How much did we notice the way
she kept the boat afloat
watching for leaks while we slept.

© Ali Grimshaw 2024

This poem is in honor of my mother, grandmothers, and all the mothers in my family tree who made me who I am today. Thank you.

Happy Mother's Day

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40 thoughts on “She led me to… Poem by Ali Grimshaw”

  9. Happy Mother’s Day, dear Ali. You have once again woven words into beauty and to honor mothers everywhere. May you be appreciated for all that you give…as we work collectively to birth a new earth. I appreciate you, my friend. 💜🙏🏻

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  12. Ah,
    Beautiful words of those women of our time.
    I can only relate it to my own late Irish mother and aunt ((her sister) as I never knew my grandmothers.
    Thank you for sharing on your special day.
    Already had Mother’s Day earlier in the year in England 🙂🙏

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  14. An absolutely wonderful post for our upcoming Mother’s Day! This line made me smile: “beauty beyond lipstick” and when you think about it, is such a very important lesson to be taught and to live. And the last stanza really nails it. Thank you so much for posting today!

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  15. I have often thought about all the things I took for granted with my mother, and even my grandmothers that I had limited connection with as they lived in a different state at a time we did not travel much. Thanks you for your poignant and beautiful poem and reflection, Ali.

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    1. I love that this poem brought back gracious thoughts of your mother and grandmothers. So much tireless work was done by women to raise families and keep the community going.

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  16. A heart-warming tribute to mothers and grandmothers, Ali. I love how you start with the lines:

    ‘She led me to
    the library, fed stories to my ears’,

    continued with:

    ‘she showed me laughter around the table
    camping in cold rain, beauty beyond lipstick’

    and ended with:

    ‘How much did we notice the way
    she kept the boat afloat
    watching for leaks while we slept.’

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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