What Mother Deserves
the internet told me
to say that my mother deserves the world
she does not
she deserves that which makes her happiest
she deserves the time and space to be alone without fear, but to have companionship and love when she desires
she deserves enough land to work the ground and see the flowers of her labor
she deserves to know that her children respect her, love her, and value all of their memories of her, even the unpleasant ones