That is Mother

MY MOTHER

Yerram Raju (written in 1987 on her 60th birth day)

Thoughts of Mother lovely

Her acts affection in bounty

The recall makes me

Travel in thrills

Wonder how she made life

So sweat for all of use

Notwithstanding all the odds

She had to face

Well, that is Mother.

My boyhood friends surprisingly

Swamp on our house

Not because they love me

But my Mother's choicest recipes

Deliciously served for them

All of them recall their juicy taste

Yearning to reach after

Three decades again

Well, that is Mother.

My dad would invariably

Look angry - the anger

Of impatience for results from

His wards -

The anger of a tiresome and

Exacting Bank job in pre-seventies

The anger of affection

All the anger off-loaded

Day after day on the

Most indulgent lady

She absorbs and distributes

All smiles and love

Well, that is Mother.

A thoughtful prayer — her wont

An erudite Religious scholar

Unto herself the treasures

Of knowledge bequeath

Emits light in thoughts

Showers wisdom in words

Affection in Action

Who else can do it

Well, that is Mother.

Taught humility and forbearance

To twelve of her children

And the other twelve that joined their lives

To make life sweet and welcoming

Life is great and lovely

What else can it be with

She ruling the destiny of all of us

Well, that's Mother.

If patience is a vice, she has it in abundance

If love is a crime, she commits every minute

If prayer is bad, she does it every moment

If talking sweet is intolerable

We have to bear it

If service to neighbours is unsocial,

She is highly indulging

Seeing God all around her is of least of privileges,

She enjoys it

Who else can I think of

Well, That is my Mother.