The Reading Mother
by
Strickland Gillilan
I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
“Blackbirds” stowed in the hold beneath.
I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.
I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.
I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings–
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be–
I had a Mother who read to me.
Author Adrienne Morris 
11 responses to “A Mother Who Read to Me”
Beautiful poem for this (for some) Mother’s Day!
‘Richer than I you can never be–
I had a Mother who read to me.’
So true! Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday, Adrienne! 😀
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You too, Annika. I hope your mother read to you. 🙂
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Oh, yes!! I was in Sweden until I was six and I still remember some of the books she read to me there; one was about a little lost duckling called Annika – of course this was my favourite and I still have the book!😀
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It’s amazing the influence our mothers have over our tastes, too. The things I like today in books come largely from my mother’s reading material when we were young.
Annika the duckling: awwww! Home you’ve found your way!
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Perfect poem for Mother’s Day! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful poem… ❤
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I don’t remember my mother reading to me but she did make up stories on the spot, very clever and sometimes funny. She made sure I had books all the time. The first book she gave me was The Bobbsey Twins, a Chanukah present when I was 5. That started a lifetime of reading and eventually writing stories.
Hope you enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day with your family, Adrienne.
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You too, Shari!
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I love not only the topic, but this style of poetry. This is a keeper.
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Indeed! A perfect poem and picture for Mothers’ Day.
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Just perfect. I love this. What a gift – the world of imagination. ❤
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There are those people with little imagination. I wonder what that’s like. 😉
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