I found this news paper clipping amongst dad’s papers…. Word for word… here it is!
   “Jack Exum, minister of the Church of Christ, Largo, who rates tops as a preacher, tried his hand at a Mother’s Day poem this year and proved to be a punk poet even when his subject matter is good.”

   “To Mother On Mother’s Day ’50”
When and if we’re all together,
Once again at home,
Mother, father, sisters, brothers,
Just nine of us alone;

We’ll stop and think for a moment
Of just what God has lent
To us in the form of mother,
And just what she has meant.

To think of the days that are now gone by,
And bring them in dress review;
And turn back the pages of old Father time,
To a day in ’32.

Beulah was just then sixteen
And Marie was two years behind;
Mildred twelve and that was all,
Three better sisters you could not find.

Thomas was ten, Fred Junior was eight,
And Jim had just started to school;
And poor little me and mother stayed
At home the whole day through.

Let’s move the calendar up a year to 1933,
Kiss brother and sister off to school;
Wondering why it had to be.
Leaving you at home, all alone,
That you could not see;
Yet turning hand with mother would say,
“Just you and me”

Yet bring the date to ’36,
To that one great time in May
When we the children of her house,
Crowned her mother, “Queen for a Day”.

Silver and gold we had not much,
Nor presents to give away;
Yet she was our exclusive queen,
On this our Mother’s Day.

Yes, those were the good ol’ days gone by
Days that cannot be recalled,
Only in our remembrance,
And that’s the sad part of it all.

But now may you forever reign,
Upon this your only throne;
Service, love and helping others,
Our remembrance of you, dear mother.
Jack Exum