Juggling, Mothering

Here is the poem I submitted to BYU Studies in December, 2009. It won 2nd place in the BYU Studies Poetry Contest that year and was published in the BYU Studies journal in September, 2010, on page 132.

Juggling, Mothering

Bills, babies.
Mopping, maybes.
Catching, crying.
Teasing, trying.
Honking, hoping.
Holding, coping.
School, stress.
Is this a test?
Laughing, loving,
Sharing, shoving,
Reading, feeding.
Watch me! Am I free?
Explaining, maintaining.
Waiting, hating.
Goodbyes. Dry eyes.
Always tries. Not a price.
Fill, spill, need to chill.
Wake up. Make up.
Take up. Never break up.
Hugging, snuggling.
Giggling, wiggling.
Listening, whispering,
Answering. Not a thing.
Playing, saying.
Wishing, kissing.
Helpless, selfless.
Living, giving.
Take a breath. Stop to rest.
Need to eat. Do I ever sleep?
Watching, wondering.
Missing mothering?
Don’t cry, days fly by.
Hold on tight. This feels right.

Nicole Hall Dominguez