Fall challenges: Getting reacquainted with Billy Collins

Do you read A Cup of Jo? She is one of my favorite bloggers. I especially like her Motherhood Mondays series. She recently started a Fall Challenges series. Each week, she challenges herself and her readers to some small change or improvement in their life before the next week. The first was going without TV for a week. I liked it, but let's face it, I'm far too into Lost and now Downtown Abbey to have the self-control for such a challenge. The next I really liked, memorize a poem. I decided to memorize a lullaby because lyrics are just poems set to music, right? You'll Be In My Heart from the Tarzan soundtrack is one I have always liked and wanted to sing to Bridger.

I read all the poems she had linked and I instantly realized how much I missed poetry. I read a little of Wordsworth in college, but years ago an old flame of mine introduced me to Billy Collins. I'll always be grateful to him for that! So I was really happy when Joanna linked to two of his poems. (This one I like, it's kind of sad and funny.)

I used to write a little poetry. Mostly when I was all dramatic and heartbroken in high school. I'm not a poet by any means, they were just thoughts on paper really. I thought I couldn't write anything unless I was sad but in the kitchen last night, some thoughts came to me and I wrote it down. It's hard for me to share because it's not very good but I think it describes my experiences with motherhood so well:

The oven is now warm
The squash still unchopped
But his hands are together, scheming
His legs pumping an invisible bicycle
Eyes and lips flirt into a toothless grin
So I kneel down and kiss chubby cheeks
Forgetting the duty of dinner
But not the joy of mothering

It is too true what they say, each day he grows and it all flies by until you are sitting at a computer weeping about a perfectly healthy son. Being a mother is the hardest but most rewarding thing I ever done. I often feel guilty for not "contributing" more but I wouldn't, couldn't trade these precious hours with him for anything else.

P.S. Joanna's next challenge is eating something completely new! I am going to try banana squash! Wish me luck! I'll report back next week!

P.S.S. These photos have nothing to do with poetry or motherhood, but yay! my hair is long enough for braids again!