The Mothering Agency Poem by Sheena Blackhall

Some mothers are real cold fish
Even their anger's just like a fridge opening
Their interest is registered by an eyebrow rising
Coldly.

It should be possible to hire a mother
Depending on her CV, her aptitude for the job
For example, is she musical?
Does she have funny bones?

A mother should not be the author of a child's life
The plot should be left to chance, like a flower
In a meadow. After all
She won't be there at the ending

She should be a phone that always picks up
When you need her, never parroting
‘Not now' or ‘gone away'

A mother should be a known country,
No passport needed to enter

She should always fix the moon
To lighten your footsteps

And feed and clothe you,
Not from a sense of duty
Like a guard at Buckingham Palace