Before you were mine!

You were a Mother

7 times over

Before you were mine

Loved each of us

Like we were your first

And our hero you became

You were a friend when we

Didn’t think we needed a mother

 A nurse when we weren’t well

You were a daughter

a wife a sister an aunt

To someone else

Before you were mine

We tore your heart

In every direction

With our silly fights and rants

And yet your arms were our beacon

And in them we came home

You were lent to us for a lifetime

Fate would see to that

And all eight of us are honoured

To call you Mammy every night

And you will always be mine

Valerie Masters