Aammi And Mommy

As I sat for lunch today

A very special Sunday

For it was Mother's Day

My soul was full of enigmatic feelings!

Overflowing emotions, through my scars seeping, 

Burning them, yet, having powers of healing!

Throughout the day I felt the feelings of many

The abounding emotions of mothers' progeny!

Yet the lump in my throat refused to go 

And would rather grow

Was that my Ma today would surely be sorrowful

That she was mother to one less, according to the rule

The soul may be immortal, but the flesh is not

And my Ma's flesh and bone child was lost

I knew I could not fill in the gap

As, one who had three in her arms, would surely feel the absence of one, sharp!

Of course, her being is no weighing scale

But the absence of a child, in her heart puts such weights

She may not be expressed through emotions always

Yet, the lighter lap puts too much burden on her heart and brain!

But no sooner had I started chewing my fish

A beautiful memory flooded my being

That of me and my twin

Sitting in the chair and pretending to swing!

Repeating 'aammi aammi aammi aammi aammi'

As Ma would gently pull out the fish bones one by one, in sync with the rhythm of aammi

Mash the flesh between her fingers soft

Add in them, love and care in immeasurable dollops

Put them in our mouths, and say 'khe ne, kop kop'

We would sing 'aammi, aammi, aammi' and wait for our chance.

And eat and sing and play and dance!

The taste! It lingers! It is definitely not gone!

The aami echoes, though the years have been long!

When the memories are so vivid, when in real they exist

Then why this concept of beings being bereaved??

When the 'aammi' exists, my Ma's twin babies too

I smiled to myself as I chewed my fish

There was suddenly a sweetness in the insipid dish!

I whispered aammi and looked at my Puti

She smiled and whispered aammi back to me 

Happy Mother's Day to our mommy!