Motherhood

A single sperm swims with millions
by chance to meet and mate
and grow on womb wall:
Does that make a Mother?

Birth pangs rip through body
to release a babe, struggling and naive
into an unknown world:
Does that make me Mother?

Endless chores and demands
exhausting, repetitive, tedious
often performed like a zombie:
Does that make me Mother?

A pride, a glow, a tug
at the heart as child grows
seeing an image not quite me:
Does that make me Mother?

Fears and frustration, child leaves nest
urge to egg on or hold back
to match child's pace:
does that make me Mother?

Motherhood I know as
a force, a tie, a bond
centripetal and centrifugal
relating and comparing
understanding and bewildering
undeniable, living beyond death.