You Were The Best Mother Poem by Pat Dring

YOU WERE THE BEST MOTHER.

Twenty years ago this week you died,
It was such a shock, I cried and cried.
But deep in my heart, it didn't feel as if you had just died.
To me your illness took away my Mother, .
And left some one else there, another
Someone who didn't even know the time of day
or even what day it was, Monday or Saturday.
You couldn't even make a cup of tea,
let alone keep your flat, like it used to be.
You phoned me constantly day and night.
I tried to get to see you, with all of my might.
But I couldn't do it, not then at all,
then you had that dreadful fall.
You didn't know what agoraphobia was.
I couldn't tell you well, because.
You hated the home we had to put you in,
but by then you couldn't do a thing.
Alzhiemer's, senile dementia, i’m not
even sure what you had.
All I know is, it was very bad
It robbed.me of my mother so many years
before she actually died..
We couldn't get through to you,
no matter how hard we tried.
You lived in a little, world of your own,
making us all feel so alone.
You used to be so clever, so strong, so true,
Then just look what this illness did to you.
you used to knit, sew all our clothes you did make,
everything we ate, you did bake.
When you were younger such good jobs you had.
like ten whole years at the Nat.West.Bank.
before the war.
Then seven years nursing the soldiers during the war.
After you married and had us two.
You still worked so hard, so much to do,
For years you ran the taxi business we had.
throughout the good and even the bad.
I had to answer the phone at four years of age
(Haywood’s taxi’s) I would say,
Then our business folded through,
you still worked so hard' so much to do.
With my father you managed the (Bridgford Wine stores)
on Melton Road, West Bridgford, for many years,
Then on parliament street to
(Smith Englefield) you went
, You worked there for many years
until to (Gem) you were sent
You worked so hard, all of your life,
A wonderfull Mother, a wonderfull Wife
You were the best Mother, anyone could have had,
until your illness, made everything so bad,
So please god in heaven above,
Please send my Mother all our love.



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