Through A Mother's Eyes

You're getting old, ma, you say          
the sting of careless words
softened by a smile    
You laugh at the grey littering my hair
the crow's feet by my eyes                  
with all the arrogance of youth

You need to get a life, you tell me,
when I hover around you 
I want to say, I did have a life
-- before you --
that looked a lot like yours now  
I fretted about school,
cried over boys,
wished I looked pretty,
had fun with friends
Everything was great or horrible
no in-betweens                                
I lived my life,
like you, in extremes

But now, it seems
like another lifetime
Now my world
revolves around you
I beg, I cajole,
I soothe, I scold,
I shout, I nag,
I worry, I love
like I've never done before

Perhaps I do need to get a life    
But I've been a mother so long   
I've forgotten
how to be anything else
It will take a while
for me to remember
how to be something more


© 2014 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved