An Epic Tribute (to my mother)

My mother deserves an epic poem.
A story of heroes and dragons
And a quest to save a people.
A story of Greek mythology,
Of Roman gods, of Egyptian
Civilization before the Western world
Rode in to rob and destroy.
My mother deserves an Odyssey
About her Herculean effort to
Educate thousands of children.
But a tale in which bards speak of
Her all too human failings.
Her stubbornness, her inability
To acknowledge her mistakes
Coupled with her need to help
The disadvantaged find a wealth
Of advantages, to bring positive
To the lives of children trapped
In the makings of a poverty-stricken life.
For her desire to educate, to nurture,
To give, to lift up, to love
other women's children;
My mother deserves a heroic
Piece of literature.
Not because she was some imperfect
god or a perfect human.
Not because she is to be remembered
In fantastical ways,
But because she gave all she could
To live the life of a dream
Undeferred.
A life that spoke of godliness
In the midst of humanity
A life of legend captured
In an inadequate but
Beautifully inspired piece of
Epic poetry.
Cause my mother deserves
An epic poem.