A MOTHERS JAR- A LOVELY STORY IN POETIC FORM by Fatih Seferagic A coin upon a coin Sweat upon a face Time upon time Time is running out Dollars upon dollars A story like no other Forever to be told, passed down from mother to mother Points of value taken, in the true making of a scholar Mommy, mommy My friends think you are lame You embarrass me at school Unlike the other parents, you aren’t the same All you do is bring me shame, like a cloud above me, filled with rain I don’t want to see you at my school I don’t want to see you, in the night, in the day Dollars upon dollars A story like no other Forever to be told, passed down from mother to mother Points of value taken, in the true making of a scholar The jar is only one quarter full Mommy, mommy My girlfriend is ill, of you You need to chill, we’re always suffering, of you You tell me it’s wrong, you keep preaching to me from this book Singing me songs Tryna grab us, tryna get me on your hook I live the way I want This is true love And when it comes to push and shove Mommy, for you there ain’t no love So leave Dollars upon dollars A story like no other Forever to be told, passed down from mother to mother Points of value taken, in the true making of a scholar The jar is half full Mommy, mommy You tell me to pray Don’t you know, that I have bills to pay When my boss asks, what am I to say? When my wife asks, what am I to say? Was a kid, was a teen I can’t be gentle, I can’t be soft You bother me with your calls Following me, from hall to halls “Pray your salah my son, pray it. Your mother loves you honey bun” Don’t have time to exercise at work Going up and down, down and up If I don’t do my job, ain’t got no backup My boss and I, we don’t make up God and I, we can make up I got years to go I’m very young I got years to go, I won’t be going below In the heavens, my name is sung So leave me be, I don’t wish to see you You make my life miserable, dreadful Dollars upon dollars A story like no other Forever to be told, passed down from mother to mother Points of value taken, in the true making of a scholar The jar is three-quarters full Mommy, mommy What is this talk about the last day? I don’t care what he has to say, nor do I care what you have to say In a grave I shall lay? Have you gone mad, have you gone astray? Come back from the dead, come back from clay? A Lord I must obey? Mother oh mother, you’re getting old I have my business to take care of, and a family to protect My life right now, my life is perfect There isn’t a defect From this aspect, to that aspect, feel free to select I don’t need you, I don’t need your how-tos I don’t want to see you ever again I don’t want you in my life If I ever see you, be prepared for my knife I wont be so merciful, I won’t be so kind So don’t let yourself be the one that I find Dollars upon dollars A story like no other Forever to be told, passed down from mother to mother Points of value taken, in the true making of a scholar The jar is full Son, oh son You probably can’t hear me now I know this isn’t something you’d allow You don’t want to see me, you don’t want to care But right now, you can’t see me, even if you wish to dare I’m of old age, and soon I shall be free of this cage My son, I wish not this fate for you Laying in the hospital bed my son Eyes closed Your helpless body, exposed Your happy life, now foreclosed My son, you’ll need surgery Your accident ended up horribly Your money, gone Your life’s work, from your hands, it was drawn Even though you hated me my son, I love you, and always will Although you can’t hear my words, I wish you some rewards My son, My entire life, I’ve wanted to travel to the holy land To stand by the Prophet’s grave, to have my feet on the sand To walk to the Masjid with you my son, hand in hand Every year, putting dollars upon dollars in a “jar” Sweating and working, to save us from the nar Even though you hate me son, I’m going to give you my jar I want you to live your life, and live it well Take my life, and become a changed man Not a lowlife With this jar, your life shall be saved With this jar, death for me shall be engraved My son, You see, a mother’s love is like no other To a son, no one cares more than his mother You yell at me, you wish me to leave, to be free You throw away my warnings, and trash my advice Gambling your life, as if it was worth less than the dice A mother’s love is heavy and strong And in your heart, is where my heart belongs You see my son, Under my feet are the gates to heaven From 1 to 7, from 7 to 37 I cared for you, and tried to keep the doors open As the tears roll down my face, and slowly fall off of your cheeks I just wish to seek, my son, the antique My time is limited, my time is scarce My son, I forgive you My son, I love you A coin upon a coin Sweat upon a face Time upon time Time is running up Dollars upon dollars A story like no other Forever to be told, passed down from mother to mother Points of value taken, in the true making of a scholar The jar is empty Bahz ibn Hakim’s grandfather said: “I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then to whom should I be dutiful?’ ‘Your father,’ he replied, ‘and then the next closest relative and then the next.’” (Adab Al-Mufrad) A mother is a true blessing from Allah. The love that a mother has for her child is like no other. No matter what you do, your mother is always there, supporting you 100%. It hurts your mom to abandon you, and she’d much rather see you do well, instead of her. Many of us don’t appreciate the things that our mother does for us, we take it for granted. We give our mother a hard time growing up, we give them a hard time when we grow up, but our mothers always help us through the thick, and through the thin. We need to strive harder to work for our mother, and to give her happiness – because her happiness, is our happiness. This poem was written to show people that even when you abandon your mom, treat her ill, and take her for granted, when you need her; she will give up her own life to comfort you, her son.