An Elegy On The Death Of My Mother

By Vinita Ashirwadam

Unconditional thy love is

Mother, Maa, Mummy, Mumma, Mom, Whatever…..

but it’s full of affection & warmth,

The love & care that every person crave for,

Unfortunately the luck didn’t favour me

My mom, left for heavenly abode

A bolt from the blue,

When I was only in standard III

Her race was run too soon,

Leaving behind four little ones & four elders me the sixth child

Have a very little & blurr memories.

Saw my mother the last

Lay unconscious on her bed in the ward on fifth floor

Struggling between life & death.

The body punctured

to revive her life

Suffering from carcinoma

Can’t forget the last visit

When at night, with my little steps

Did I climb the fifth floor to meet my loving mother,

but she laid calm & quiet

unaware of what was going around &

I looked at her frightfully speechless

Know nothing what to do or say watched her motionless pale body

lying still on the bed

waiting for a few minutes

went back home with a heavy heart.

Though too small but never can forget the last visit to the medical.

The things were normal.

Next morn finishing up with the daily chorus.

Went to school

And at the end of the day

A sister (Novice) came

Asking to pack up the bag

And I being happy to go home early

Knew nothing what the reality could be .

Oh ! on my way to home

Came the hospital where my mother laid

Breaking the silence

The sister informed I’d meet my mother at home.

My joy had no bounds, with an ecstasy,

Eager to reach home

Entered the house

Eyes searcing for mother

then came the sudden blow

As if a branch cut down from a tree

That my mother left for heavenly abode

Never-ever to come back & say to massage the feet.

And me fighting to sleep beside her.

A lovely face had gone away into the unknown

Never to come back,

But in memories ‘SHE’ remains alive as long as I survive.

By Vinita Ashirwadam