Upside Down

by Cheryl Merrick
Doing what I felt
    I should;
Doing all the 
    "essential" nurturing things
I thought they needed, 
I lived my life --
    upside down

Only realizing later,
that what they remembered most 
was the time I spent with them,
listening and teaching--
right side up.

The Road

by Cheryl Merrick

Those on the road
rush home each evening
to waste their time,
either sitting mesmerized in front of their TV,
 or flitting from post to post,
caught like moths in their computer's glow.

Each morning they arise and begin another day
stuffed with fast food, rush hours, throbbing music,
appointments, lessons,  work, and shopping
till their closets bulge with unneeded things,
their heads spin and their eyes glaze.

Granddaughter at 6 Months

by Cheryl Merrick

Smiles of recognition

Thoughtful glances

Shared giggles

Proudly sitting up by herself

Rolling over is mastered

Holding on tightly, she stands

Her few steps hinting of future independence

Fascinated by life

She explores her world

Carefully considering sounds and tastes

Watching children play

Grabbing and shaking all within her reach

Chewing and sampling all that will go into her mouth

Till finally, snuggling into the arms of those who love her,

Her excitement gives way

To exhausted sleep

Warden

by Cheryl Merrick

Appearing a sanctioned warden,
      holding his legitimate credential,
he enters the aviary
not to tame, as expected,
but to allow a few moments of freedom-
the freedom to strengthen
     unused wings
     and build their confidence
     that they are truly beings
of the sky.

Growing Up

by Cheryl Merrick

As a child angrily pounds on his father’s leg,
screaming, “You don’t love me!”,
we threaten to withhold our love
from God
if He does not immediately
give us all we desire.
After all, we, in our toddlers wisdom,
feel sure we now know what is best for us.
At least, we know we want it right now,
and our father should give it to us.
If He truly loves us, wouldn’t He want us to be happy?
With a surety breed from ignorance and arrogance,
we constantly test Our Father’s love,
demanding His immediate fulfillment
of our every desire.
In peace He stands,
enduring our childish blows and shrill screams,
our pouting and our sulking.
In love He withholds what would harm us,
waiting for us
to accept His wisdom
and begin growing up.

The Autistic Child

by Cheryl Merrick

The “victim” is diagnosed
as having a “developmental disorder”,
and the parents are told
     their child has “impaired functioning”.
Words fill the air:
     “delayed”, “abnormal”, “peculiar”.
They only hope therapy or drugs
can make their child with this “condition”
     “Normal”.

Walk in Faith

by Cheryl Merrick

Nurturing your children’s children,
you once again enjoy sloppy kisses
and young one’s confidences.

Knowing how precious and fleeting
these childhood moments are,
You slow down to match a toddlers pace,
experiencing again the wonder of
bird songs, dandelions, and ant hills.

Having a more eternal perspective,
you no longer anxiously judge your worth
by the behavior of your children.

You have finally learned to enjoy and rejoice in the process of perfection.
Now content, you take your grandchild’s hand
as, together, you walk home in faith.


9/13/2013

To Young Mothers

by Cheryl Merrick

My table stands trim in its neat tablecloth.
  Its usual covering of books and half eaten food
now only stale memories.
My floor extends out in an unbroken expanse.
The toys which once dotted it
long since broken, or stored in the attic.
Walls, cupboards and sinks gleam in pristine whiteness,
no longer muddied by small industrious hands.
Coats hang conscientiously on their hooks,
instead of massing in huddles on the floor.
Shoes remain steadfastly with their mate,
having given up their earlier mischievous ways
of hiding behind sofas and beds.
At last, my home has become a place
of peace and order.
A place to be envied and aspired to
by the harried young mother.
I smile serenely, knowing that in time, she too,
will achieve this state of grace
when her children, like mine, are grown.

On Becoming a Star

by Cheryl Merrick

When my children were young,
they played in the protective warmth
of my morning sun.

Later, in my clear afternoon light,
I taught them endless lessons
on room cleaning and report writing.

Learning well,
they ventured from me.
The evening of adolescence had come.

Now, in a night sky I glow,
a distant beacon of light,
a constant of love,
a star,
guiding the way home.

Nurtured by the Rain

by Cheryl Merrick

His words fall with a joyful welcoming
upon my soul,
as rain upon a land too long exposed
to the withering rays
of an intense worldly sun.

The question, “What do you do?”,
is followed by the belittling, “Oh!”,
when I reply I’m a full time Homemaker.
So much is not said, but it is clear
that they see me as weak and incompetent,
a “nothing” who is wasting her time and talents.

Longing

by Cheryl Merrick

When I had babies,
though I longed for sleep,
I found joy in gooey hugs.

When I had toddlers,
I longed for rest,
but rejoiced in first steps.

When I had school age children,
though I longed for more time,
their excitement became mine.

Labor of Love

by Cheryl Merrick

I know I love him,
     but I feel like punching him.
Could it be I have lost my sense of humor
     after 17 hours of labor?
My back aches!

His cheerful musings of how fun
it would be to have our child
     born on the 4th of July,
     or leap year,
     or Halloween,
     or being in labor on Labor day,

If Only

by Cheryl Merrick

If only I’d been watching
If only I’d trusted him more

If only I’d said something
If only I’d kept my mouth shut

I only I’d thought of that
If only I hadn’t remembered

Camp

by Cheryl Merrick

The scout’s mother anxiously watches her son leave,
“I hope he comes home safely.”
A week later, the scout returns.
His eyes sparkle as he gives an enthusiastic account,
in Technicolor detail,
of his brushes with danger,
The sharp rock that cut his foot,
“Where were his shoes!”
The burning branch in his hair,
“What was his head doing in the fire?”

Fatherhood

by Cheryl Merrick

It begins when he first holds
his tiny child in his arms.
No one has ever had such a need
for his protection.

As he teaches and cares for
his little son or daughter,
they both grow.

And slowly, through days of
bike rides, wrestling matches,
working together,

Midst of Mothering

by Cheryl Merrick


Ever busy
Days crowded with spilt milk and lost shoes,
baseball games and dance lessons.
Evenings spent helping with homework at the kitchen table
and enjoying seeing your child in a school program.
Someone always needing your help--
Ever counseling, guiding, and teaching.

Mothering

by Cheryl Merrick


Knowing that mothering
is more than just giving birth,
but an expression of the heart,
She reaches out
to teach youth at school
and in the Church
to invite neighborhood children
to share her cookie jar and talk,
to guide young student teachers,
and to nurture her sister’s children
during the summers;
Til one day she is called to the General Young Women’s Presidency,
and proudly declares,
“My daughters!”





My memories of Sister Ardeth Kapp who was never able to bear or adopt children of her own. She was my student teaching supervisor in 1971 in Bountiful Utah. Later she became the 9th General President of the Young Women organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Always a Mother

by Cheryl Merrick


They’re on their own.
You cheer them on as they manage their own lives-
getting an education, choosing a mate, 
making a living, and raising a family.
You share in their triumphs and sorrows.