I Remember...

A hypothetical account of someone who has just lost their mother.


I remember your comforting presence all this time,
The way your essence made the household shine.
I remember when creating a mess was a punishable crime,
And your sweet songs that would always rhyme.

In the hour of your passing I stand in illuminated solitude,
Trying to gather some sense of artificial fortitude.
My heart heavy with a foreign sadness,
Driving me to the brink of suicidal madness.

I remember the way you held out your hand,
And helped me build castles in the sand.
I remember you calming my fears when the airplane was about to land,
and how you always somehow made me understand.

I am devoid of emotion,
Lost in the midst of chaotic commotion.
I am descending into the abyss of eternal despair, I am beyond repair.
I struggle to fight the inevitable gravity,
Unable to break the laws of the theory of relativity.

I remember when you always came to my immediate defense,
Your reassuring attitude that always made sense.
I remember when you scolded me and I became bitter yet always tense,
Whatever you did for me, the gains were always immense.

It pains me that I took you for granted,
How did my psyche become so slanted?
During your last breaths I prayed for your revival,
Realizing how you were essential for my survival.

I remember how you acquiesced to my ridiculous demands,
Buying me clothes that were expensive name-brands.
And I remember how I still ignored your motherly commands,
And now in the twilight your tombstone stands.

Your love was always platitude,
But I never showed you any gratitude.
Even though I shall visit your grave every December,
I will forever,


Remember…

Copyright Aurangzeb Qureshi 2006