I Am Mother

Kristin Kany wrote this multi-voice poem in 2016 to be read by a group of "diverse moms."

I am mother

Mother 1: I am Mother
Mother 2: I am Mother
Mother(s) 3: I am Mother
Mother 4: I am Mother
Mother(s) 5: I am Mother
Mother 6: I am Mother

I am Mama, I am Mommy, I am Chinese, Jewish, African, Republican, Muslim, Lesbian, Catholic, Cuban, Irish, straight, Democrat, Baptist, German, Latina, Native American, I am Russian.

I am mother to my baby, a true miracle on this Earth
I nurture this precious being,
whether conceived in my body or that of another woman,
a precious being whom I love more than life itself

I am Mother

Mother 1: I am Mother
Mother 2: I am Mother
Mother(s) 3: I am Mother
Mother 4: I am Mother
Mother(s) 5: I am Mother
Mother 6: I am Mother

What do I dream for you, my child?
That you feel loved, deeply
That you know you are truly worthy
That you are never hungry or cold or thirsty
That you are safe and you never fear for your life

I am Mother

Mother 1: I am Mother
Mother 2: I am Mother
Mother(s) 3: I am Mother
Mother 4: I am Mother
Mother(s) 5: I am Mother
Mother 6: I am Mother

My child, may you be able to read and write
and develop a lifelong love of learning
My son, may your soul be soothed by soft music
and may you, my daughter, be enchanted by alluring worlds of written word

May you, my child, wake in wonder to a glorious sunrise
and feel the warmth of those rays for years to come

My daughter, may you be stirred by the soft velvet of a lush forest floor
and may your heart dance to a serenade of birdsong
May you, my son, watch salty surf wipe away your footprints in the sand
and may you see soft snowflakes pile on pine boughs cascading fragrantly up the mountainside

My child, may you feel life’s deepest beauty
and may you embrace it on the most profound levels
May you always be intimate with truth and peace

Indeed, there will be dark hours, but, my babe, they are short,
and that pain can open the door to Light — yours and all the world's

I am Mother

Mother 1: I am Mama
Mother 2: I am Umi
Mother(s) 3: I am Maman
Mother 4: I am Matka
Mother(s) 5: I am Mum
Mother 6: I am Mère

My son, may you create meaningful friendships
and embrace the truest forms of love
My daughter, may you bask in the joy of family for generations

My child, may you appreciate the colors and voices of our world
and may they all enjoy yours, too, my dear

May you always be happy and healthy and safe
And may you feel my unwavering devotion, in every moment,
despite any miles between us

For this I dream
For this I exist
I am here, I am yours, I am your mother
I love you, my darling, as all mothers do, everywhere
I am Mother

Mother 1: I am Mother
Mother 2: I am Mother
Mother(s) 3: I am Mother
Mother 4: I am Mother
Mother(s) 5: I am Mother
Mother 6: I am Mother

All: I AM MOTHER

An African-American mother cradles her infant twins, one in each arm, as the babies gaze out of a window.
A baby plays with her own foot, with hands and foot covered in sand or dirt
A woman cradles a sleeping infant, gazing down at their face
A baby is carried on her mother's back in a typical West African pagne: a brightly colored piece of cloth.