Praise Song for My Mother

You were
water to me
deep and bold and fathoming

You were moon's eye to me
pull and grained and mantling

You were
sunrise to me
rise and warm and streaming

You were
the fishes gill to me
the flame tree's spread to me
the crab's leg/the fried plantain smell
replenishing, replenishing

Go to your wide futures, you said.

Grace Nichols