if you ask a mother how much she loves her children
you must be prepared for her to snap
off her kneecaps & stuff each cavity
with brutal flowers iris larkspur
lily of the valley blooms that if bitten into
could give you great discomfort
as you tiptoe around her kneecap garden
being mindful of the fragility of petals
as well as raw sinew & bone
you will notice that this mother is buckling
under the weight of her giant bouquet
just look how she folds herself into strange
contortions to caress all the flowers
exploding from her knees
but also notice how in this posture
she can rest her chin on a profusion
of blooms & cup them to her squatted chest
a sumo wrestler inhaling
the scents of fresh dirt play-doh
& sticky taffy
how much does a mother love her children
she will risk arthritis & nerve damage
curvature of the spine to show you
if you put your ear to her kneecap
garden you might even hear the ocean
of a howling heart.