A New Mother's Prayers
My first book came from a collection of poems I wrote about experiences I had with my first child, my son John.
The passion of motherhood stirred my creative juices and kept them bubbling like an internal cauldron. I poured out my feelings on paper
because all those welling emotions had to go somewhere! At the time, a book was the farthest thing from my mind.
It wasn't until a couple of years later, when my husband suggested sharing the poems with an agent I had befriended, that the idea of a book began to take shape.
Three printings later, I'm still thanking my husband for that suggestion!
Hardcover - ISBN #978-0829417692
Available from most online booksellers or directly from the publisher: Loyola Press
Reviews
"Ferrer has gathered a charming compilation of thirty-five odes regarding the myriad emotions a new, and all, mother’s experience. Happy to recommend this as a tuck in shower gift, hospital basket gift,
and just for giving and reading." — Molly's Reviews
". . . a delightful collection . . . Ferrer's heartfelt words should resonate with mothers, caretakers, and anyone with an interest in motherhood." — Sarah Lomas, reviewer
"Unlike the stiff, stilted poetry languishing on library shelves, Ferrer's stream of consciousness style reads as softly as a sprinkle of baby powder." — The Tampa Tribune
"Your poems describe my feelings just as if you had a direct line to the heartsongs stored in my soul. Please keep writing!" — Kelly Kupiec, mother
"Jayne's books can grab that part of any parent's soul that yearns to know someone else can relate to their life. . .As a parent of preschoolers/toddlers, I give Jayne's books the highest recommendation!!" — Amazon.com
This poem from A New Mother's Prayers is a favorite of readers. It was featured in the first edition of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul
and in their 20th Anniversary Edition of Reader's Choice: Chicken Soup for the Soul Stories that Changed Your Lives:
The Play's the Thing
Forgive me, Lord,
for all the tasks
that went undone today.
But this morning when my child
toddled in and asked, "Mommy play?",
I simply had to say yes.
And between the puzzles and trucks
and blocks and dolls and old hats and
books and giggles,
we shared a thousand special thoughts,
a hundred hopes and dreams and hugs.
And tonight, when prayer time came
and he folded his hands and softly whispered,
"Thank you, God, for Mommy and Daddy and
toys and french fries, but 'specially
for Mommy playing,"
I knew it was a day well wasted.
And I knew you'd understand.
Copyright ©2003 by Jayne Jaudon Ferrer
Another often requested favorite. This is the version that appears in the third edition of A New Mother's Prayers:
Superwoman's Lament
Okay, God, that's it.
I quit.
Even I--Former Cheerleader,
Clairol-Tressed Alpha Woman of Substance/
Mother Superior/Coupon Clipper Extraordinaire--
can't do it all.
Could you? I wonder.
Even with juice boxes
and Pull-Ups
and e-mail
and a reliable sitter,
there's still PMS
and dust
and action figures with multiple accessories
and wet sheets in the middle of the night.
And not even Bill Gates
has come up with a machine to handle
bill-paying, menu-planning,
job-keeping, house-cleaning,
story-reading, eyebrow-tweezing,
shirt-ironing, dog-walking, and
libido-satisfying all at once.
I'd pray for a maid but
I can't afford one.
And a 30-hour day's
out of the question, too, I suppose?
Fine.
Then how about fewer headaches,
a small raise,
nighttime bladder control, and
a simple promise
that, fifty years from now
when I'm old and gray,
my child will remember this
and call me "Blessed?"
Copyright ©2003 by Jayne Jaudon Ferrer
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