Mothers Hands By Diona S.

I wonder

if my Mothers hands

that are now rough and calloused

used to be soft and supple

with perfectly manicured nails

that had never felt what it was like

to withstand a temperature over 70 degrees

hands that used to make daisy chains for her friends

and smell of lavender perfume

are hands that now scrub stubborn grime

and have cracks from years of bleach and cleaning products

I wonder

when did she trade her girlhood with motherhood?

does her heart pang

when she hears a little girls laughter

echo streets that she can no longer walk

beneath my Mother’s love

feels like a silent longing

for what was