Wrote this for my mother on her 56th birthday: Charm is deceitful and beauty fades, But my mother deserves praise. Adorned with virtues, An embodiment of love, An incarnation of affection. The colour of compassion -the hue of her complexion. The dye of dedication, The shade of perseverance. She treads the path that few men dare, Her fabric's thread is strong, Her will is made of steel, Her resolve is drawn from fire. She defends her husband's honor And protects her children's future. Her legacy, her sacrifice, The quintessence of motherhood, My mother, whom I love.