Who is mother
Of more than one
Is not the same
As the mother
Of an only son
Who never became
Anyone’s father—
Still only a son
As an old man—
What I have not done
Made me who I am.
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Who is mother
Of more than one
Is not the same
As the mother
Of an only son
Who never became
Anyone’s father—
Still only a son
As an old man—
What I have not done
Made me who I am.
Samuel Menashe is the author of many books of poetry, including The Library of America's New and Selected Poems. In 2004 he received the inaugural Neglected Masters Award from The Poetry Foundation.
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