Thursday, December 23, 2010

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

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

shush

sometimes we need to hear
what we don't want to 
sometimes we need to hear
what we don't.