Mother's Voice

Since my poem submission was not selected for the A Mother Here contest, I can now post it. This isn't the version I submitted, but I now like this sonnet better.

Mother's Voice

Before I was, I heard you call:

Come be My son.

There is no safety here,

no sameness,

no return,

But I will teach you freedom.

Mother, I listened. I came.

I’m listening. I’m coming.

I heard—I hear your voice—

Love and be Free. . .

I followed others who had gathered round

  Into your presence, learning at your feet.

  I came too late to hear my brother speak—

Great Abraham above the hallowed ground—

Today we are engaged in a great war,

  That all who dwell on earth Gods’ joy will prove.

  That this world, under God, shall have new love—

A birth of freedom greater than before.

Though lives had passed, You thought that I should keep

  The words he spoke—Our Parents brought forth our

    New World, conceived in Liberty. This World

    From its conception dedicated toward

  This proposition—all Gods' children are
Created equal, born for freedom. Free.

My favorite poem from among the winners and honorable mentions was by Rachel Hunt Steenblick. This is one of my favorite paintings, and here's another. I hoped this contest might give us more poems that would inspire theological connection to Heavenly Mother, and give us material to talk about in Sunday School and on blog posts to heighten our awareness of Heavenly Mother in Mormonism. I still need to read the other 24 selections, but 6 poems in one day is enough to digest. My first impression is a much more emotional attachment and awareness of Heavenly Mother in the poems and art. Maybe this is what we need first for us to seek out revelation of Heavenly Mother and better understand her place in the eternities. Also, it's been a long time since poetry like Eliza R. Snow's has been considered great, new art.