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