happy mother's day!

Sentiments about this day can come from many points of view. I, personally, can speak as myself to my aging Mum. I can speak as a mum to my kids. I can even make sweeping statements about Mumhood – and claim to speak for you (what Hallmark, Carlton and Paper Magic do all the time).

In "Love’s Scratch ‘n’ Sniff" I speak from yet another viewpoint – the child I was, remembering the mother- (and father-) love I felt as I was growing up. Today I honor my Mum, and thank her for the memories!

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Love’s Scratch ‘n’ Sniff

Scratch ‘n’ sniff yellow
aroma of angelfood and jelly roll
when you wake up
Saturday-morning-warm.
Hurry down to claim bowl and beaters
dripping with batter to lick.

Scratch ‘n’ sniff white
perfume of just-washed frozen
diapers softening beside the heater.
Laundry makes Mum tired. "Read!" you call
as she dozes off again in the middle
of the story at nap time.

Scratch ‘n’ sniff green
storm-scrubbed morning air.
All night you lay watchful, sprawled on pull-out
livingroom couches with brothers and sisters
and pinched eyes shut against
lightning that took flash after flash
picture through the window
to thunder’s applause.

Scratch ‘n’ sniff charcoal
diesel fumes
body odor of the pulsing Massy 55.
You’re standing beside it asking
"Daddy, what do you mean
‘We’ll see’?"

–V. Nesdoly © 2002.