Before she was a mother
she was daughter
a sister, a child, a friend
a lover of art, poetry and music
She wrote in prose
and dreamed in color
She painted her future
bold, untouched
She spoke in foreign languages
that rolled brilliantly off her tongue
And visited exotic countries
rich in history and culture
Before she was a mother
she lived
carelessly, recklessly, wildly
She wanted more
and gained nothing

And then one day she was a mother
and she saw the beauty
in words, art, music
She dreamed of the future
that her child held in his hand
She sang songs
that never sounded so sweet
and saw the world through
her little child's
eyes
And she learned to live
And love
purely, unconditionally, completely
She wanted nothing
And yet, she had
Everything