MAM-MA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY
WE WAITED WITH MAM-MA FOR JESUS TO COME
COME TO SET HER FREE
AND THERE, AT HER SIDE, I REMEMBERED OLD TIMES
AND THINGS THAT USED TO BE
THE FAMILY ALL GATHERED AT HER HOUSE
AND ATE WONDERFUL MEALS SHE HAD MADE
“BLESS IT TO ITS INTENDED USE”
MAM-MA ALWAYS PRAYED ~J
WE PLAYED ON THE FRONT PORCH SWING FOR HOURS
ATE BOWLS OF HAND-CRANKED ICE CREAM
WHILE THE MEN ALL GATHERED IN THE FRONT YARD
AND CHEERED ON THE CARDINAL TEAM
THE BRIGHT, PINK LIGHT SIGNALED SANTA
WITH PRESENTS AND LOTS OF FUN .
I REMEMBERED THE THINGS SHE PIECED AND CROCHETED
AND OH, HOW SHE LOVED US—EACH ONE
BUT MOSTLY I THOUGHT OF HER WITNESS
HER LOVE OF HIS HOLY WORD
AND I THANKED HIM OVER AND OVER
FOR THIS “IMMOVABLE ROCK IN THE LORD”
I PONDERED HIS GREAT LOVE FOR ME
AND MY HEART BECAME SO ELATED
TO THINK WHEN HE PICKED OUT MY GRANDMA
HE GAVE ME THE BEST HE CREATED
“TAKE AWAY OUR SADNESS, DEAR LORD” I PRAYED
“OUR GRIEF, OUR SORROW, OUR FEARS
MAM-MA HAS LIVED FOR THIS MOMENT
ALL TWO WEEKS AND NINETY-SIX YEARS
HAVE HER FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES ALL WAITING
WHEN SHE GETS TO THE OTHER SIDE
TELL PAP-PA AND NANCY SHE’S COMING
AND OPEN THOSE GATES UP WIDE!”
THEN IN A MOMENT, MAM-MA WAS GONE
I DIDN’T SEE HER DEPART
BUT I KNEW WHEN JESUS TOOK HER
FOR HE LEFT INSTEAD, PEACE IN MY HEART
YES, OUR MAM-MA IS FREE AT LAST
SHE’S PASSED THROUGH THOSE BEAUTIFUL GATES
WE WAITED WITH HER FOR JESUS TO COME
AND NOW FOR US SHE WAITS
MARGARET HENSON KING
JULY, l985
