My mum had passed over some months earlier, and as I was thinking of her this came to mind. It is a thought that I will always keep close. She was such an inspiration as a gardener, painter and cook.
In Mums Memory
You were there when I came to this world,
You helped me up when I fell,
You bandaged my scrapes,
You cared for me in so many ways.
You never shied away from hard work,
From early times, clearing the land,
Later, planting row upon row of seedlings,
Then again manually pulling out grasses that invaded the seedlings,
Whether it was working on the farm, or making delightful dinners,
Making preparations for celebrating festivities, or helping with homework,
You were there to help us, to guide us, a shining lamp,
The glue that kept it all together.
You expanded your experiences by travelling to far off lands,
You were a pathfinder,
When you came home you shared your experiences,
We all drank deep of your experiences.
Life without you was inconceivable,
You created beautiful gardens,
Gardens with vistas, fragrant blossoms,
Plants of different colours and textures.
You turned your hand to paints and oils,
Created as you did in the garden beautiful imagery,
Paintings both mystical and imaginative,
Of real places and from memory.
You were the matriarch with care and love.
Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio
28 February 2023