Study Your Mother
by Orlando Ceaser
Study your mother,
She is a woman of dreams, Directed by faith
And driven by pride.
She is a feeling person;
When she hurts
Emotion is personified.
She lives her feelings,
With vibrant words, strong, Expressing thoughts, revealing Through free association, songs That are a diary of rights, wrongs; Her motive is her nourishment Thus, love is her encouragement.
Study your mother,
Transcribe the journey
In her eyes.
Describe the wonder,
Then analyze
As a biographer devotes
Time to peruse the notes, Research her reign of glory. Observe her eyes
For they contain her story; From the pain of childbirth
To the joy of delivery;
From the passage
Through adolescence to liberty, Visualize the tales
Of long treks and mountain ranges,
The difference in altitudes,
The climate changes
Among acquaintances and friends;
The disappointments,
The loose ends.
Study your mother,
Emulate her style.
As a princess in thought
With the profile
Of royalty.
She performs the mundane
Chores of life
With the spirit and a flair to entertain. She took the tasks of cooking and cleaning And blessed the commonplace and gave it meaning.
Study your mother,
Let her share her thoughts
As she surfs her dreams;
Allow her to elaborate
The streams,
And navigate
The contours of her smile.
The lines on her lips
Are markers for miles
She’s traveled.
And you can see on her face That she’s content
That she can’t take your place. But wants to live through you And leave a trace;
A stamp of approval,
Her taste and grace.
Study your mother
Learn from her ways Through storms of experience Earned your praise;
Her passions, life,
Attention to detail
Says vulnerable, open. Remove the veil
And cross the chasm
You’ve built over years Weep in the channel
And cross on the tears.
Study your mother
And discover yourself. Study your mother
And become a lover of self. Study your mother
And her love will blanket you With good intentions
And overwhelm
With many dimensions. The writings in the veins Upon her hand;
Has messages for you
To understand.
Study your mother
Do not disregard
Her human failings;
For she pushes hard.
Her goal is to condition you For the world at large.
She postures to position you To be the person in charge
Of your earthly affairs
And with matters straight
With the man upstairs.
There are uncharted waters With life storms of hurricane Magnitude.
She prays that they won’t Punish her daughter
And that you develop the attitude To stand against the adversary. And stand-alone if necessary.
Study your mother
Her taste and grace.
Look at your mother
And look you in the face.
Study your mother
To observe your roots,
The mannerisms,
The precious pursuit
Of the best in life;
For much is given
To the tenacious in life,
The driven
Will claim the prize And get their due. Study your mother, Confirm the review.
Study your mother
Learn from her mistakes.
You’ll see when the winds blew
And where the boughs would break. You’ll see when the heart soared;
You’ll feel when the heart ached;
And her counsel will be as a friend,
A soul mate fused together to blend, The rainbows to create a special hue; Study your mother and learn about you
Copyright © 1999 Orlando Ceaser
South Shore High School produced Orlando Ceaser. Yes, he also graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois with a degree in biology, but we South Siders are taking credit for this multi-talented, creative best-selling author and motivational speaker. He is an accomplished public speaker, known for his ability to use humor and creativity to motivate an audience and team to think creatively.
Poet Wilma Turner wrote a book of poems, “More than Conquerors: Inspirational Poetry for a Global Pandemic,.” dedicated to the most horrific pandemic of our lifetimes. Here is one poem excerpted from that collection:
“Masks”
by Wilma Jean Turner, Ed.D
Masks
They hide us
They protect us
They separate us
They fog up our glasses and
Keep us from really seeing one another
Some are creative and beautiful
They provide new businesses and income
To pay the rent
Now that you no longer have a job —
The virus took it away
Some are fancy and fabulous
But are they really
A way of life
A way to live
A shield from death and
Devastation and
Suffering and
Pain and
Fear and
Anxiety
Some are troubled by the mask or
Are they just defiant?
Wanting to take a stand for something
What harm can it do?
It’s the one over there
Working so hard to throw life away
While others try so hard to keep death away
The mask
It can cover up wonder
Fears and doubts
Maybe even a smile sometimes.
They’re all behind the mask
Eyes tell the whole story
Sadness or joy or pain
Behind the mask
It keeps sickness at bay
It hides our insecurities
Should we take it off now
And come out of hiding
Science says “Yes” but
What does courage say?
Wilma Turner is a retired professor, author and poet. Her most recent work is More than Conquerors: Inspirational Poetry for a Global Pandemic
