Once A Daughter Always A Mother Poem by Saroj Padhi

At birth she gifted me the stars
lying locked inside her fists
that perhaps decided my future;
as a baby girl she wiped away
all my frustrations in love in my youth
with her palms weaving magic in my eyes.
I knew not how she slowly grew up
to be still more sterner
with her soft frowning looks
at my bad habits;
her dictates to do this and not do that
her rectifying words
while stealing pain
from my aching temple
with balm in her delicate hands —
a tough girl friend indeed!
And now in my fifties she punishes me:
‘ twenty sit-ups' for talking in unacceptable
words to mom
her knowledge of law
sharpening her decisions
in the family court.