They Gave Us Life

I am very pleased to have two haiku in a new anthology edited by Robert Epstein, They Gave Us Life: Celebrating Mothers, Fathers, and Others in Haiku. Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/They-Gave-Us-Life-Celebrating/dp/0998073296

My haiku are both about my mom:

nesting--
the small dress my mother
feather stitched

For those of you who do needlework, you will know that a feather stitch is an embroidery stitch that is sometimes used in smocking.  My mother's great Aunt Macil taught her to smock when she was pregnant with me and Mom made me several little dresses.  I, in turn, learned how to smock when my first granddaughter was born--thanks to my friend Nancy who had all the supplies and the willingness to teach me.  

Smocking is very relaxing to me and I enjoyed stitching love and good thoughts into the dress I made for Aspen.  Knowing my mother, she stitched the same good wishes into my dresses.  To me, this is the epitome of "nesting"--a pregnant woman daydreaming about her unborn child as she creates something beautiful for her little nestling.  

My first attempt at smocking

Aspen Jane, age 4 in her dress made by Grammy 

lilac time again
my mother's other
wedding

This haiku is more bittersweet.  My mother always loved lilacs, and said that she had always wanted to be married at lilac time.  She married my dad in August so she missed that opportunity.  My parents divorced when I was 30 and Mom reconnected with her high school sweetheart, whom she eventually married.  This time, she did marry at lilac time.  Their wedding was very sweet and I grew to love my stepfather very much.  Still . . . 

Lilacs I harvested from our yard on their way to becoming Lilac Jam