For My Mother May I Inherit Half Her Strength

In the poem, For My Mother (May I Inherit Half Her Strength), the writer Lorna Goodison made many things clear about her parents and their relationship, how her mother suffered in her marriage and how she dealt with her pain along with ways how her mother showed her strength which she (Lorna) wished to inherit.
Most people would consider the speaker’s mother and father to be an ill-mannered couple because of the type of relationship they shared. She was first stunned by his handsomeness and his charming words but she never took the time to fully understand and know him. She was a woman with hopes and dreams when he had nothing, and she threw it all away to be with him and start a family. She was a person who did not show or talk about the pain she experienced by her husbands infidelity.   He was hardly home, but yet she would work all day and still stay up waiting for him until he would come home. She would never discuss with him what was happening. Even at the day of their wedding, the difference between them was displayed. Although she was pregnant with his child, she still did not want to act like she was neither did she want to express her feelings boldly but he did and that made her cry because she was embarrassed. He was bold and didn’t want to pretend or hide anything while she was shy and liked pretending. Day after day they would go on living as if nothing was happening and everything was alright. Most people would find this disturbing because they should have shared a bond where they could talk to one and other and work out there problems instead of masking their true feelings and emotions. They did not share a normal relationship.
Lorna’s mother, Doris suffered a lot during her marriage. He was unfaithful to her and did it constantly. He was never at home to support her and the children physically or mentally. She was tricked into believing that he was a decent person who would have not neglect his parental duties of feeding, teaching, settling disputes...