I dream of you vividly, I think of you often, I wish we could talk, I miss you maa.
Your memories give me warmth, Your image still is strong, Your smile always shines, Your voice never lets me down, I miss you maa.
Age three, I jumped from a high wall, My first leap of faith, Missed landing on my feet, Hit my bottom with much ache, Ran back home, Tears down my chubby cheeks, You held me, You comforted me, You eased my pain, I miss you maa.
We took long train journeys, One trip had me sick, High fever made me hallucinate, Dark visions scared and kept me awake, I rest my head on your lap, You shut my eyes with your hands, I drift to a restful sleep, Waking up to a new day, Much energy in my play, I miss you maa.
In sixth grade, We live in a remote home, Playtime was limited, My high bottled energy, Needing much escape, You stepped out in our backyard, Clutching pebbles in your hand, I took guard with my cricket bat, Swung hard at every pebble thrown my way, With every good hit, I rejoice the cheer of a cracking six, We did this for long, We did this on many days, I miss you maa.
Monsoons in Mumbai, Some heavy, Some legendary, No roads or open drains, Rushing water all around, Forced to venture out, Buying medicines our aim, You fall into an open drain, Umbrella, bag and all, I follow right behind, Grabbing you with all my might, Teenage agility and strength on display, Bringing you to safety, Feeling proud of my action, Feeling strong for every morsel you fed me, Feeling accomplished for you, Feeling like a man, I miss you maa.
You are a master champ, The kitchen your gym and arena, I see you sweating it out, I see discipline in your routines, I see no excuses all year round, I see love as a constant ingredient, Somedays I walk behind you, Holding you by your arms, Giving you a playful shake, As you effortlessly move the heavy dishes, I compare your arms to Schwarzenegger, Bringing a smile to your face, I miss you maa.
Every academic exam morning, Every job interview I appeared for, Every important event I left home for, I think of our fun ritual, Reenacting the Mahabharat television series, I touch your feet and you bless me “vijayi bhava”(“may you be victorious”), Bringing a smile to my face, I miss you maa.
Being 8000 miles away, Gave us more reasons to talk, Every day, We talked, About many events, Health, family, work and movies, Some topics serious, Some topics light, I miss you maa.
All through my life, I share with you the crushes I had, I share with you the future I plan, I share with you the true love I find, I share with you my restless mind, This sharing I miss most, The listening I miss most, I miss you maa.
I dream of you vividly, I think of you often, I wish you were still here to talk, I miss you maa. I miss you maa.
This is my first attempt at poetry and like every post, my in-house editor in chief was Chitra. I also reached out to an in-house specialist, Yash. He is taking a break from his writing exploits, but obliged me with some edits. It was humbling to see my thirteen year old, with his inputs to my work and is a memory I will savor for long.
SHANT ATMAN 