Mom's Tattered Prayer Book

This was her greatest treasure
In which she found much pleasure.
A tattered book of prayers
Read faithfully throughout the years.
Sitting silently upon her bed,
This book of prayer, she devoutly read.
Every morning and night, religiously,
Each page she studied judiciously.
Inside, worn pages, yellowing with time
Transports my eyes across each line
To find bookmarked a favorite verse
That mom chose silently to rehearse.
Her book of prayer evokes a feeling deep within
To live a life free of mortal sin.
As I close this book of prayers,
How can I hold back the tears?
As I bind the book with a rubber band,
I will always keep it close at hand.