Gifts From A Mother

I gave you drawings, poems
and wild strawberries picked with tiny
fingers from a neighbor's field.

You gave me life,
Laid the foundation for a future,
and where there to lift me when I faltered.

I thrived in the radiance of your smile,
matured in the stern insistence of your displeasure.

You faced the disdain of a teenager,
waiting for the moment of maturity
when a grown woman would realize
your value.

You gave me gifts I can never repay,
gave me love I can only strive to match.
You are my mother, my dearest friend,
and I have the fortune to be your daughter.