Mother of Pearl

A true story of my mum breaking my beautiful umbrella when I was about 7 years old.  I was heartbroken.  It seemed to matter so much, and after my mum died the two things came together in this poem.   This is the cat who caused the incident. 

It was mother of pearl, you said

With precious jewels, you said.

I loved it so much

I took it to bed.

It would shelter me from the rain, I thought

It was mine for always, I thought

I loved it so much

Thank you.  You bought

Home a treasure for me

A pleasure for me

That lit up the night

The jewels so bright

Then the cat went up the tree

You took my mother of pearl

(You didn’t ask me)

To hook him down

(He was stuck, you see).

You broke my umbrella,

My mother of pearl,

Then you threw it away

The gift, for your girl

I have found no replacement

There’s nothing so fine

I thought that my mother

Of pearl would be mine