Category: Maria Brady-Smith
Beside Still Water
Beside Still Water She lay in the nursing home bed, clean white sheet folded across her chest, hands intertwined, a gold ring on her bent finger, delicate paper thin skin taut over bone, bruises that ... Read More
Some Mornings
Some Mornings Some mornings I wake up so afraid. I see how much is slipping away while I stand in frozen disbelief. I am overwhelmed by the futility of my small actions. I wonder at the naive sureness... Read More
Foremothers’ Solace
Foremothers’ Solace Late afternoon, waning sunlight streaming in, the familiar, repetitive work of keeping a household afloat finished for the day, I rest. It occurs to me how hard my foremothers mu... Read More
I’m the Mom
I’m the Mom I wasn’t born a mother, like my children think. Once, not long ago, I was a child, too. I hung my head off the couch and looked at the world upside down, lost myself in play, picked at... Read More
Waiting and Watching
Waiting and Watching “Every cry of the heart is attended by light’s own arms.” -St. Francis of Assisi Today, it was the quivering leaves of the oak tree glimmering in the sun and the frayed gray... Read More
An Unexpected Benefit of Getting Older
An Unexpected Benefit of Getting Older With many hard learned lessons behind us and a closer view of the finite future ahead, our desire to satisfy external standards of success becomes suddenly less ... Read More
Bringing in the Day
Bringing in the Day A mother wakes before her children To experience silence, To pray for strength. A man stands at the window Each morning, coffee in hand, And watches shadow Turn to light. An old wo... Read More
Writing Poems
Writing Poems I want to give you a gift. But all I have are these words. They don’t seem like much against all the terrible things that have happened. Or will happen. I don’t know how to fix all o... Read More
What an Aging Mother Wants
What an Aging Mother Wants Something’s left her. The reserve, The stoicism with which She’s faced her life Have fallen away Like so many Deteriorating bricks. Now she speaks openly, Emotionally, W... Read More
Retrospect
Retrospect Sure. Looking back, you tell yourself, you would have done things differently. You should have tried harder, been more patient. You could have done more. But retrospect is an observation to... Read More
This I Need To Remember
This I need to remember When I am looking back from the perch of old age, this is what I need to remember: Every morning in the spring, summer and fall, I would get my coffee and notebook and sit on t... Read More
Second Child of My Second Child
Second Child of My Second Child When your older sister was born, we had no idea how completely her presence would transform everything. Compelled by an astonishing love, we rebuilt our lives and resha... Read More
Missed Boat
Missed Boat There was a time when I looked at other people’s expansive homes, their accomplishments, their travels, and I got the sense that we had somehow missed the boat. We hadn’t gotten news t... Read More
A Personal History of Chores
A Personal History Of Chores When I first came into the world, my needs were met by others and when they weren’t, I simply screamed. Sadly, I had no appreciation of my privileged status. Soon enough... Read More