The Best Gift

She goes to work at 9pm, in sneakers and blue scrubs,
To care for those who cannot care for frail and aching bones
She works through the night and toils,
First cleaning, then washing, then sitting hard and straight to watch her charges
At last, first sunlight, it's 7am and home she flies in her Oldsmobile, 
Where there awaits, a second shift, of  hark and heart and hearth

Three children she must care for now,
First feeding, then dressing, then driving off to learn at school
At last at home, it's 9am, and sleep invites her in
A nap or two and then she's through with slumber and relaxing
She picks them up at 3pm, a smile to cheer their faces,
And then she's off to cook and clean and drive them to their practice
2 hours pass it's 8pm, she laces up her sneakers,
To ready for the night ahead, of working with her charges

She knows her children's days by heart,
She knows their natures inside out,
Zeke born of August blue, likes his comics, manga too
Loni with her July flare, never backs down from a dare
And then there's Kenny, short and sweet, a smile for everyone he meets
August, July and September, three dates she will always remember

So when one day, her children came with long and saddened faces,
She frowned confused, her heart displeased, and wondered what had happened
"You forgot!" they chimed in unison, all standing in a queue
She squeezed her eyes and shook her head, puzzlement in her gaze,
And then they sighed and held their heads, in wry and mock alarm
From Zeke, came a single card with colors red and blue,
From Loni came a tiny cake that Zeke'd said she couldn't make,
And Kenny, sweet Kenny, with a smile, began to sing a birthday tune
"Happy Birthday Mommy" they chanted out

And so she cried because she knew,
The best gift in the world for birthday days,
Was family to remember them for you

Dedicated to my mother, who worked so hard she sometimes forgot her own birthdays