My Maw

IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER
B. 1935
D. 2007

SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 WOULD HAVE BEEN HER 73rd BIRTHDAY


"MY MAW"

MY MAW WAS THE BIGGEST LITTLE WOMAN YOU EVER SAW
AT FIVE FOOT THREE, TALL IS ONE THING
THAT SHE WOULD NEVER BE...

SHE HAD A GOOD HEARTED DADDY, A WISE OLDER BROTHER
AND HER STRICT BUT VERY LOVING MOTHER...

BACK THEN WHEN SHE WAS SO VERY SMALL
SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL, SHE WAS FOR SURE
BOLD AND BRASH, NEVER EVEN SLIGHTLY DEMURE,
EVEN WHEN SHE WAS JUST LEARNING TO CRAWL...

BY HER BIG BROTHER A STORY WAS TOLD
OF A GIRL ABOUT THREE, RUNNING WILD AND FREE
OF ONCE, AFTER A FINGER HE LOST,
OF HER MISCHIEVOUS ATTACK
ONCE HE TURNED HIS BACK
HIT, LAUGH AND RUN FOR COVER AT ANY COST,
SNEAKING AND HIDING LIKE SHE THOUGHT
THAT SHE WAS A GHOST...

TREMENDOUS TODDLER TO AN "AMERICAN GRAFFITI" TEEN
ONLY A VERY FEW SHORT YEARS
OLD FOLKS SAID, SHE'LL BREAK A LOT OF HEARTS,
AND CAUSE THE SHREDDING OF MANY TEARS...

YEARBOOK OF '53 RECORDS LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL FACTS
"DYNAMITE COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES",
BETTY JEAN W. IS THE LIVING PROOF OF THAT...

WHEN FINISHED WERE HER HIGH SCHOOL DAYS,
SHE MARCHED TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER IN MANY WAYS
SHE WORKED HARD AND KNEW HOW TO PULL HER OWN WEIGHT,
ALL THE WHILE SHE PONDERED REALITY AND THE EXISTENCE OF FATE...

A WOMAN BEFORE HER TIME,
ALL THROUGH THE HISTORY BOOKS
SUCH WOMEN HAVE DRAWN ATTENTION
AND INEVITABLY A FEW STRANGE LOOKS
MANY WERE MOTHERS, BUT NONE QUITE LIKE MINE,
WHICH I WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU IN THIS RHYME...

SHE WAS AN ORIGINAL, ONE OF A KIND
IF YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS SIMPLE,
YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD NO CLUE,
TO THE WORKING OF HER MIND...

LUCKY IN LOVE, SHE WAS NOT,
EVERYTHING SHE THOUGHT SHE NEVER WANTED
IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE GOT...

SHE DID THE BEST THAT SHE COULD,
WITH WHAT SHE HAD AND WHAT SHE KNEW
SHE CHOSE A PATH THAT WAS NOT EASY,
AND IF SHE HAD NOT,
THEN NOW,
I WOULD NOT BE ME...

PRACTICAL ALWAYS, COME WHAT MAY COME,
SHE WAS SURE TO REMEMBER THE TRUE MEANING OF FUN,
QUICK WITTED AND QUITE SASSY TOO,
ARGUE WITH HER AND SHE'D TELL YOU
EXACTLY WHAT TO DO...

STANDING UP FOR WHAT SHE BELIEVES TO BE RIGHT
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WOULD GET HER INTO A FIGHT
IT WASN'T IN HER NATURE, TO TURN TAIL AND RUN,
SHE STOOD HER GROUND,
AND WHEN SHE DEEMED IT NECESSARY,
WITH A SHOTGUN...

SHE WAS TOLD BY MANY OVER THE YEARS,
THAT EVENTUALLY,
HER MOUTH WOULD OVERLOAD HER ASS
AS FAR AS I KNOW, DESPITE THEIR FEARS,
THAT IT NEVER DID COME TO PASS...

IF YOU WERE FRIEND OR FOE
SHE WOULD BE QUICK TO LET YOU KNOW
IF SHE WAS AGAINST YOU,
NOT A SECRET WAS IT KEPT
SHE'D STATE IT LOUD AND CLEAR,
FOR ALL THE WORLD TO HEAR
NOT CARING IF THEY LAUGHED OR IF THEY WEPT
IF SHE WAS ON YOUR SIDE
YOU HAD A LOYAL SUPPORTER,
IN WHICH TO CONFIDE
AND YOU COULD COUNT ON HER
STAYING PUT TIL THE END OF THE RIDE...

ALL MY LIFE, I WAS TOLD,
FROM GOOD PIONEER STOCK I COME,
TO HONOR THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE,
BY DOING WHATEVER HAS TO BE DONE
IN THIS WAY, ME, IN THEIR HEARTS
THE ANCESTORS WILL FOREVER HOLD...

NOW...SHE LEFT TO BE WITH THEM
NO-ONE MORE SURPRISED THAN I
THOUGHT SHE'D GIVE US MORE TIME,
SOME WARNING, SOME HINT,
MAYBE SHE DID, IN HER OWN WAY
WISH SHE COULD HAVE FOUND A WAY TO STAY...

LIKE HER, NEVER, NEVER WILL THERE BE ANOTHER,
LIKE MY MOTHER
WHETHER SHE WAS YOUR SISTER, AUNT, COUSIN OR FRIEND
IF YOU MET HER ONCE, YOU WILL NOT FORGET BETTY JEAN
THAT IS HER PROMISE, AND SHE KEPT IT UNTIL THE END...
SEVENTY YEARS OF ORIGINALITY
DON'T BELIEVE ME,
JUST ASK HER BIG BROTHER !!!!