Mother's Role

she was not such an old woman then when she tended to my tears and as always said "be still or i'll never get the splinter" and "how is it you always get these things in your feet" i didn't know the answer then anymore than i do now though i went barefoot all the time and never do now but things were different then i was young and careless still believing in her bigger than life image no, she not such an old woman when i cried over the simple truth that she would grow old and cut off the coal black ponytail and her skin would wither as all women's will i somehow half believed she would stay young forever then one day everything about mother changed except her role