To My Mother

Today, I’m sharing another poem by my grandfather-in-law, Pedro Rodríguez Miranda. The poem, To My Mother, was written and posthumously dedicated to his mother, María Miranda Talavera, and comes from the Love Poems in Old Age section of his book. I hope you enjoy the poem.

A Mi Madre

Cuando el sol se apagó en tus ojos azules,
Se apagaron las luces que alumbraban mi vida,
Como faro sublime que brilla en las alturas.

Un amor como el tuyo, madre mía,
Sólo el Cristo ofreció; lo compró con su vida.
Pero también mostró ese divino amor,
La Madre Celestial, la otra María.

Ya no tengo, madre, ¡Qué ironía!,
Perder de mi existir lo más sagrado;
Pues no hay amor terrenal que se compare
Al amor sacrosanto de una madre.

Vivo disimulando mi cruel melancolía.
Mi barca aún navega por los mares, sin rumbo;
Pero así, dando tumbos,
Enderecé mis velas, siguiendo tu mirada
Y anclé en puerto seguro, orando un Padre Nuestro
Para mi madre amada.

Yo sé que en los parajes sagrados de los cielos,
Se erigieron moradas para las madres buenas
Y los hijos sinceros…

Y sé que en una de esas moradas celestiales
Tan llenas de belleza y jardines en flor,
Tú moras, madre mía, esperando a tus hijos,
Y laborando ungida, para Cristo, el Señor.

Yo espero estar contigo, y mis seres amados,
Al final de mi tiempo, que ya se ha establecido,
Y volveremos juntos, por tiempo indefinido,
A disfrutar la dicha en un nido dorado.

Y luego en otra vida, otra reencarnación,
Yo espero que seamos, si lo permite el Padre,
Yo, tu hijo adorado,
Tú mi adorada madre…
To My Mother

When the sun faded from your blue eyes,

The lights that lit my life went out as well,

Like a sublime lighthouse shining from the heights.

A love like yours, my mother,

Only Christ could offer it; He bought it with His life.

But that divine love was also shown,

By the Heavenly Mother, the other Mary.

I no longer have a mother; what irony!

To lose the most sacred part of my existence.

For there is no earthly love that can compare

To the sacrosanct love of a mother.

I live concealing my cruel melancholy.

My boat still sails the seas, aimless;

But thus, tossed about,

I straightened my sails, following your gaze,

And anchored in a safe harbor, praying a Lord’s Prayer

For my beloved mother.

I know that in the sacred realms of heaven,

Dwellings were prepared for all good mothers

And for sincere children…

And I know that in one of those heavenly dwellings,

So full of beauty and gardens in bloom,

You live, my mother, awaiting your children,

And working anointed, for Christ, the Lord.

I hope to be with you, and my loved ones,

At the end of my time, which has already been set,

And we will be reunited, forevermore,

To enjoy bliss in a golden nest.

And later, in another life, another incarnation,

I hope that we shall be, if the Father allows it,

I, your beloved son,

And you, my beloved mother…

(Translated by Edward Ortiz)
Previous Poems:
1. Young Love                                   
2. To Jelly                                           
3. Message of Love                                
4. Subtle Dream                                     
5. Honeymoon Journey                        
6. That is Love
7. Nostalgia
8. Sad Christmas
9. A Verse for You
10. You Arrived
11. Letter to My Wife
12. To the Colón Park of Aguadilla
13. Legend of the Flamboyant
14. Evolution of Love
15. Liza
16. The Old Tree
17. God Bless the Sent One
18. I Will Be Happy
19. Miriam Celeste
20. My Cherub “Cherubero”
21. The Inept Hummingbird

About the Author:

Pedro Rodríguez Miranda was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on 22 February 1930. He completed his primary and secondary education in Puerto Rico before moving to New York City to attend college when the Korean War started. He joined the Marine Corps and served four years, completing his enlistment and receiving an honorable discharge. After his service, he returned to New York City and attended college, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Upon graduation, he worked for the city until 1965 when he returned to Puerto Rico. He worked as a high school teacher in Aguadilla and completed his second Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez.

67 thoughts on “To My Mother”

  3. What a beautiful and tender tribute, Edward. Your grandfather-in-law’s words hold such deep love, reverence, and hope. A sacred reminder of a mother’s eternal place in the soul. Thank you for sharing this heartfelt gem. 🌹

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  8. Gorgeous. Gorgeous share dear friend. I totally and completely loved every word. What fluency of emotion and everything else. I could get lost in this rhythm. Dos tiempos. OK. Dos tiempos then. Thanks so much. Blessings to you and your dad-in-law. Sorry I don’t know if he’s still around. Bless him.

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  9. This is probably my favorite poem of you FIL to date Edward, as I weeped through each line and I’m not religious per se. His words were ones that every mother longs to hear and know and may never know the impact that we have had or the difficulty. Our devotion pure, our love, “deeper than the ocean, higher than the sky”. Our children in flight searching for purpose and meaning as they soar. We may or may never know where they land but one thing I do know is they will know they were loved. Thank you for sharing his poem, my friend! 💓

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  22. He certainly expressed his innermost feelings so very well. Beautiful and heart warming. We mothers can hope that we’ve done our best for our children so they can appreciate us this much.

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    1. Absolutely, Terry. It would be amazing to receive a poem or written dedication from our children. I know people who write dedications to their parents and then read them. It’s such a special and powerful moment.

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  23. Absolutely wonderful! A pure, heartfelt expression beautifully entangled in loving and divine manners! And when I thought it couldn’t get better, there were these last 4 lines that, like the sun in its zenith, illuminated the greatness of this maternal love. Thank you, Edward, for sharing and translating this precious, poetic gem! It enriches everyone’s heart! In gratitude and appreciation, sending light and blessings your way 🙏✨ Have a peaceful day, my friend 🌈

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  28. So beautiful, and what a lovely way to honor a mother as Mother’s Day approaches. I loved the visual of this:
    …“in one of those heavenly dwellings,

    So full of beauty and gardens in bloom,

    You live,”…

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