My Mother's Garden by Jeri
(To hear the tune, click here)

Jeri's Comments:  (This song) the song was about Bet's memories of her and Katlaughing's mother. Yes, it does involve memories of my own mother, but Bet's original words (see the "Song for My Mom" thread) called those forth. I don't think I'd be wrong to say Bet's words touched a lot of people.

I wish I had a song for Mom.
Of joy and life and laughter
Of how springtime follows winter
Now and ever after.

My mom cared for my garden when she moved in with me
I was glad to let her do it, I couldn't keep up with the weeds
Sometimes, I would come home to find she'd been working in the flowers
Weeding here, planting there for untold peaceful hours.

It was a good flower bed, and the sun it shone on all
And people always noticed it when e'er they came to call
Today I cleaned her garden, in quiet happy toil
And sowed some seeds of her beloved wildflowers in the soil.

She'd dug up all the irises, one day when I came home
I complained they were the one thing that could manage on their own
She smiled and said that they'd come back, for Iris always do
And I held my tongue, for mother always knew.

Last year there were no irises, and mother too had passed
I thought she'd been wrong to believe the fragile flowers could last
But this morning as I cleared debris from last year, past and gone
I found them sprouting once again, tiny, sure and strong.

And she wanted only one thing the night before she died
She wanted me to take her home, but this one thing was denied
I regret I tried to hold her here, I wanted her to stay
But she knew her time had come, only "goodbye" left to say.

But this morning in the garden, she told me she'd come home
And she would always be with me, I'd never be alone
In the garden, I will know she's there and everything's alright
In the garden, I will feel her love as the flowers feel the light.

I wish I had a song for Mom
Of joy and life and laughter
Of how springtime follows winter
Now and ever after.