A Mother's Words

A MOTHER’S WORDS A mother’s words can be hurtful Or make you feel high They can give you strength and courage Or make you want to die A mother’s words stay with you When you are far away They can be words of wisdom Or ones to spoil your day My mother’s words still puzzle me I don’t think she meant to be unkind I wish she never had said them I tried really not to mind. I was never good enough To win her words of praise She loved the others more than me Through all our childhood days I tried not to let words hurt me Some were hard to bear Often when she'd speak to me I wished I wasn’t there She filled me with trepidation Tried to instill fear Words harsh and unflattering For a child’s ears to hear I’d turn away dejected Uncertain of my worth She praised my other siblings God’s blessings they were on earth I never met her expectations Even when things I did were great Her view of me was negative I tried hard not to hate I longed for her recognition for the things that I had done Or simple congratulations for honors I had won Now that I am old and grown With children of my own Supportive words I try to speak To show how much I care I remember my dejection How her spirit made me frown I vowed my words would never -- ever Tear my children down