For the Mothers
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                                SJ Larson
                            ðŸ¡¯

This one is for the mothers who are
Teaching their children to pray
While they wait with prayers unanswered
Hanging on by one thin and frayed thread
Just hoping they’re doing the right thing.

Because that thread used to be a rope
And that rope was a lifeline in a time
where pain wasn’t so prevalent and where life
Didn’t seem to happen all at once.

Because that thread was pulled taut,
Connecting two cups that would whisper
wishes and wisdom between worlds.

That is why you’re teaching them to pray
So that they can have a harness as well as a rope
An anchor for their line
A belayer at the end.
So they know that when it pulls taut
They may not always wind up with wisdom for their wishes
And yet, there is someone on the other end who will not let them fall.

Here’s to the mothers whose kids will know
And refuse to doubt
Even when the line is frayed
Even when the help is stayed.

Here’s for the mothers who wait, in a
World of despair, hanging on by their thin
And fraying thread
Who try to pull it taut
but have lost confidence
while waiting on wisdom.

For the mothers teetering on a tightrope
Holding desperately to hope.

 

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SJ Larson is a small-town poet whose work often delves into the intersection of mental illness, faith practices, and motherhood. Alongside her poetry, she works as a professional genealogist, speaks fluent Swedish, and enjoys reading, painting, and sipping Dr. Pepper. You can contact SJ at sjlarsonwrites@gmail.com.

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