grandmother

tears ran lightly
down her crinkled cheeks
as she touched

his softly radiant face

you look just
like your father

she wiped his nose

(the size of her fingertip!)
with the frayed edge

of her cotton saree

there, there
amma's coming soon

he bawled loudly

eyes closed tightly

baby toes clenched

she put him on her lap, 

head on knee
rocking him gently

almost instantly
there was silence

a moment, mid-air

 

dark iris-filled eyes

stared at her 

carefully, suspiciously

sucking one thumb,
he reached out curiously

to touch her tears

shush

sometimes we need to hear

what we don't want to 

sometimes we need to hear

what we don't.