Mother’s Legacy
Daughters one, two three
Fiddle dee no bother for an O Donnell girl
Born head to toe
Just a year apart and a month or so
Divided the trio
Like Irish twins plus one
In a big perambulator
Hood for new-born
Foot for toddler
And first born holding mammy’s coat-tails
Near the flow of the River Deele
Rhyme method came to yer aid
Musical or tone deaf ye had
To learn to play to the tune
That slowed the pace of motherhood
Of babbies born to Madge and Tom
In that wee cottage near Birdstown lane
Time thereafter two year divided
Four sons
And two more lovely daughters
Daring to broach the subject
Of numbers
Inquisitively I enquired why ye had so many
Glasses perched on the end of your nose
You scrutinized me with a look
That said trouble afoot
No Pill then you baldly retorted
And pray tell me daughter number five
Which of the nine
Should I not have had?
Not me
I was quick to respond
Happy Mother’s Day Mum xxx
GC Hill March 2017©
