Ode to my mother

we don't see eye to eye
on many things
our perspectives differ
but you are my mother

for years
I longed for you to hold me
and tell me that you loved me
I now realise that the poles will
never meet

we will seldom agree
but I know that you love me
you have shown that by actions
instead of words

there is a merit in this
though it took a long time
for me
to grasp this
essential facet of life

differences
they should help us
to appreciate
the uniqueness of life
not make us battle
to squeeze each other
into an identical mould

a rose cannot say
"I love the sun
but hate the rain"
they are disparate
but essential to life
as indeed are we