21 Poems for Mum on Mother’s Day

Hi Friends, Nothing warms a mom’s heart more than a thoughtfully chosen poem. I’ve gathered classic favorites and shared some original poems for mum on Mother’s Day that you can print, share, or tuck into a card. Scroll to find your perfect Mother’s Day tribute!

Why Poems Matter on Mother’s Day

Poetry distills big emotions into a few lines—perfect for capturing gratitude, nostalgia, and love. A poem can become a keepsake, something Mom rereads year after year.

6 Classic Mother’s Day Poems

These classic Mother’s Day poems are in the public domain.

The Angel that presided o’er my birth by William Blake

The Angel that presided o’er my birth
Said, “Little creature, form’d of Joy and Mirth,
“Go love without the help of any Thing on Earth.”

Mother o’ Mine by Rudyard Kipling

If I were hanged on the highest hill,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose love would follow me still,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

If I were drowned in the deepest sea,

Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

I know whose tears would come down to me,

Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

If I were damned of body and soul,

I know whose prayers would make me whole, 

Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

To My Mother by Edgar Allan Poe

Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,
The angels, whispering to one another,
Can find, among their burning terms of love,
None so devotional as that of “Mother,”
Therefore by that dear name I long have called you—
You who are more than mother unto me,
And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you
In setting my Virginia’s spirit free.
My mother—my own mother, who died early,
Was but the mother of myself; but you
Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
By that infinity with which my wife
Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.

Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

To My Mother by Robert Louis Stevenson

You too, my mother, read my rhymes
For love of unforgotten times,
And you may chance to hear once more
The little feet along the floor.

Rock Me to Sleep by Elizabeth Akers Allen

Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight,
Make me a child again just for tonight!
Mother, come back from the echoless shore,
Take me again to your heart as of yore;
Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care,
Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair;
Over my slumbers your loving watch keep;—      
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Backward, flow backward, O tide of the years!
I am so weary of toil and of tears,—      
Toil without recompense, tears all in vain,—   
Take them, and give me my childhood again!
I have grown weary of dust and decay,—   
Weary of flinging my soul-wealth away;
Weary of sowing for others to reap;—   
Rock me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep!

Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue,
Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you!
Many a summer the grass has grown green,
Blossomed and faded, our faces between:
Yet, with strong yearning and passionate pain,
Long I tonight for your presence again.
Come from the silence so long and so deep;—   
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Over my heart, in the days that are flown,
No love like mother-love ever has shone;
No other worship abides and endures,—      
Faithful, unselfish, and patient like yours:
None like a mother can charm away pain
From the sick soul and the world-weary brain.
Slumber’s soft calms o’er my heavy lids creep;—      
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Come, let your brown hair, just lighted with gold,
Fall on your shoulders again as of old;
Let it drop over my forehead tonight,
Shading my faint eyes away from the light;
For with its sunny-edged shadows once more
Haply will throng the sweet visions of yore;
Lovingly, softly, its bright billows sweep;—   
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!

Mother, dear mother, the years have been long
Since I last listened your lullaby song:
Sing, then, and unto my soul it shall seem
Womanhood’s years have been only a dream.
Clasped to your heart in a loving embrace,
With your light lashes just sweeping my face,
Never hereafter to wake or to weep;—      
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep! 

15 Original Poems for Mum on Mother’s Day

Crafted to fit inside cards or text messages—feel free to personalize with names or details!

“Sunrise in Your Eyes”

Every dawn reminds me
Of how you brought me light—
A mother’s love outshines the sun
And warms me through the night.

“Hands That Held”

Small hands to yours,
You taught me how to walk—
With every step I take,
In gratitude I talk.

“Quiet Strength”

You don’t need spoken words
To show me you’re a guide—
Your steady, silent courage
Makes every storm subside.

“Wildflower”

In fields of doubt I wandered,
You plucked a bud for me—
Your faith in who I’d blossom
Set my wild spirit free.

“Morning Brew”

With every cup you brew for me,
I taste your love so sweet—
A simple gesture whispers loud:
In you, my heart finds beat.

“Second Chances”

You held my hand when I fell down,
Then let me stand alone—
A mother’s gift is trust and space
To grow beyond my known.

“Echoes”

In laughter and in quiet tears,
Your voice still calls me home—
No matter where I wander now,
In you I’m never alone.

“Recipe for Love”

A dash of care, a pinch of soul,
Stir in laughter, too—
That’s how you baked my spirit whole—
A mother’s love so true.

“Golden Thread”

You wove my world in sunrise hues,
With yarns of hope and grace—
I wear your stitching in my heart,
No time can e’er erase.

“Guardian Star”

Though miles may lie between us,
Your light still guides my way—
A mother’s glow is always near,
No night can dim its ray.

“Heart’s Anchor”

When tides of trouble pulled me out,
Your arms were safe and wide—
My anchor through life’s shifting seas,
My harbor and my guide.

“Seasons”

Through winter’s chill and summer’s sun,
Your love has never changed—
Evergreen within my soul,
Your care will never age.

“Quiet Hero”

No fanfare marks your daily deeds,
Yet heroes wear your face—
Unseen, unbowed, you save the world
With humble, loving grace.

“Map of Home”

A thousand roads, I’ve wandered far,
Yet when I follow you—
I find a map of all I need,
A place forever true.

“Every Day”

No special date could ever hold
The love I sing for you—
Mom, every day’s a Mother’s Day
When my heart thinks of you.

What do you think about these poems for mum on Mother’s Day?

Whether you choose a timeless classic or one of these new lines, Mom will treasure your words. Happy Mother’s Day—and may your tribute be as beautiful as she is!