(A daughter’s emotional rant upon her mother’s unexpected demise)
I
Until death tore us apart,
until the vacuum of loneliness engulfed me,
until my innermost crevices suffused in darkness,
until they told that you are gone forever,
I never realized you were the ‘Other’……
Skimming through the pages of my life,
I take a walk backwards.
Sheltered under the thicket of your love,
My ‘self’ was immersed in you.
Our existence coalesced,
You were me.
I was you.
Until your absence dawned upon me
The cruel moment that declared you to be
M‘other’
II
Loved for cuteness
despised for naughtiness
adored for tantrums
third daughter
favored by father
pampered by neighbors
a neglected young girl
caught amidst a web of emotions
often at the mercy of elders.
An unpleasant childhood.
Ravishing beauty
coupled with intelligence
melting the hearts of young men
She waits.
Finally, he comes
Man of her choice
Reveling in the joy of togetherness
The beginning of a new journey.
Not really pleasant
Expectations thwarted
Struggles creep in.
Cacophonies of hopelessness.
Amidst all, she embraces motherhood
A life waiting to merge with hers.
Growing with the child
Her dreams and aspirations
Seep in through the daughter’s existence.
Boundaries blurring rigorously
Fortified by love.
Partaker of her daughter’s victories
Busy collecting her certificates of achievement
Proud mother
Finds meaning in life.
III
Two souls merged together
Oblivious of life’s separation tactics
Death.
An uninformed visitor
She becomes the ‘other’
Daughter embarks on a journey
Untangling her ‘self’
From the traces of memory.
Nevertheless, pain percolates
Wounds afresh.
Death is so full of life
Perennially watered by memories of closeness.
Incessantly cries the heart
Motherless, loveless, lifeless
The soul slips into insanity
saved by the sibling’s loving arm
resurfaces into life’s routine.
Hoping to catch a glimpse
of a mother
who was never the ‘other’
~ Safrine. N
India
Very nice poem….Heart touching
Nicely written
Thank you sooo much ma’am
Poignant ! Mother becoming Other when Death removes her from life.
Thanks Beenu
A poignant poetic composition !
Upholding you in my prayers, Safrine.
Thank you ma’am
Beautifully crafted to capture a wide spectrum of emotions
Thank you dear Ann
Wow! Saff. Beautiful..
Thanks much dear