Maria is a mom and a polio survivor. She recalls an autumn day when she played with her son in the crisp air and among the fallen leaves. Ride along with Maria as her inner child comes to life in this poem about a mom and her son’s autumn adventures.
Ordinary Miracles
I remember when I was your hero –
when a Sunday afternoon
could turn into an adventure
or an expedition
or a day of making ordinary things
transform
into everlasting memories.
I think you were ten
that autumn day when raked leaves became
the magic of boyhood
and the sound of laughter in the neighborhood,
because that’s when we were buddies
and you were by my side,
like peas in a pod,
or like Forrest would say, “peas and carrots.”
Yeah…, you were my buddy, my baby.
Soft cheeks and open smile,
happiness
skipping down the street.
A boy and his ball.
A boy and his bike.
A boy and his dog.
That’s who you were.
And sometimes you were also my co-pilot,
when I would let you sit on my lap
and control the joystick
of my motorized wheelchair.
There was always happiness in the air
when we went out and about
looking for adventure.
And adventure often came to us.
I think in some ways
we’ve known
that life itself
is a constant adventure.
You, my Scorpio child,
seem to have learned that
from me,
but maybe I’m just bragging
the way moms often do.
That day,
along the way, we found
an abandoned shopping cart
and two other kids
trying to ride in it,
letting their imagination fly.
And so, together, we embarked
into the afternoon of that autumn day
and went up and down the street,
kids taking turns riding on my lap
or standing on the back of my chair
like you loved to do.
We also loved to lean
all the way back – as far back as possible –
as if we were laying down,
and drive around looking at the clouds,
and then spin around in circles
until we got dizzy.
We all loved that, and I think in many ways
being your mom was so magical
because I too became a kid
when I played with you
and laughed the way we laughed
(and we still do).
Some things
will always be special.
That’s why you also remember that day,
as it yawns itself awake
in this poem,
and memories that re-open,
season after season,
like the autumn leaves you collected that day …
and filled the shopping cart with them –
bags of raked leaves that had been bagged
and labeled trash
became our adventure after you declared
we could find a grassy spot
to make a “mountain.”
The cart was so full
that it took the three of you to steer
and make sure you didn’t lose
the bags.
We must have been quite a scene:
Three kids with a shopping cart full of leaves
and a woman in a wheelchair
who looked as happy and as guilty
as they did!
We rolled and rolled,
until we found a small neighborhood
not far from ours
where right next to a big old tree
was an empty patch of grass
calling to the magic of autumn.
The boys emptied the bags
with excitement in their eyes,
almost indescribable joy –
happiness written on the face of boys
who wanted a mountain of leaves
so they could jump into autumn
and into the childhood dreams
that fade away as years go by.
And many years have gone by
since that day when even I
got out of my wheelchair and let little boys
bury me alive,
and let them pretend they were detectives
discovering a crime scene.
Then, they thought about Halloween
and wished they could keep the leaf “mountain”…
take it home with them.
But they knew it would be in vain.
The wind and the rain
would scatter away
evidence of that day,
and its magic.
Our ride home was quiet…
Thank you to Maria Palacios for sharing her poetry with AbleThrive. Maria is a poet, author, spoken word performer, public speaker, professional presenter and workshop facilitator, polio survivor and disability rights activist, and a mother of two. Her work is spirited by her own woman experience and embraces and promotes self-acceptance, empowerment, and social justice surrounding people with disabilities, gender and sexuality, teen girls and women, and a wide spectrum of issues as they relate to diversity. Her hopeful message of pride is consistent throughout her raw and often sensual work. Known in the artistic world as The Goddess on Wheels, her multicultural background and passion for onstage performance have come to life through numerous events over the years.