A Poem For My Mother

When I think of you
I don’t know what to think
My memory banks are empty 
no deposits of good times 
I shared with you
There are none
for the day I was born
was also the day you died

Your picture tells me
I didn’t get your porcelain skin
your long flowing hair
or your big doe eyes

What did I get from you?
A love for books & music
Fresh flowers & bright, sunny days
red roses & lace?
Was this the treasure 
you bequeathed me,
my inheritance?

Now it’s too late to ask, there’s
nobody left to tell me

Did you hold me before you died
Was there a name you picked for me
the one I’m not called
They had to give me a name
So they just gave me yours

© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved