My mother, Padmini, was the greatest woman in my life. She
lived a life quite never reaching her potential though she had ‘that in her’ to
become successful in whatever she would have done. She died an early death at
the age of 56 in November 1993.
That sweet beautiful woman, my mother,
I love her for what she was, soft and mild,
She was a champion at sport and sharp in study,
‘Puppy’ she was called at college lovingly,
Her swap book was full of poems written by friends,
Made great reading, when found years later.
That sweet beautiful woman, my mother,
But I hated what life doled out to her,
All skills wasted on home and kitchen,
Out there she should have been seen,
Wearing a doctor’s coat, steth around her neck,
The best doctor in the world she would have been.
That sweet beautiful woman, my mother,
Got married off as most women are,
At an age that seemed right to ‘them’,
To a stranger who came to their door,
And as all women do, she buried her dreams,
To build a family and, dream another dream.
That sweet beautiful woman, my mother,
Children were her source of joy, three in all,
Through illness and success she nurtured them fine,
Till one day it was time to bid goodbye,
Her days were numbered and she didn’t know,
She had no time to see her third child wed.
That sweet beautiful woman, my mother,
She died a distant death when she lost my father,
Looked after so tenderly by her, who died,
After a long drawn taxing illness, and then
Exactly one year, one month and one day after,
She joined him in death as if she decided.
That sweet beautiful woman, my mother,
Her death with it took a piece of me,
How I miss her and wish with all my heart,
That she has found the peace she deserves,
Reached a place where she need not dream,
And exchange her dream for another dream.
(10th May, 2006, Nellore)
© Nalini Hebbar/openmind/2009 - all rights reserved
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