* A Legacy Poem by Deva De Silva

Sitting close to you so that
I could reach out and touch
A rare treat to be that
Center of attention for once
These are the memories of
You teaching me to write

Unwatched I watched
Your sun browned skin
Your wavy black hair
Your broad nose flared
Tobacco scented breath
Fanning on my cheeks

Your face tensed
Head bent down deep
Glasses balanced on your nose
Lips grimaced when you speak
Veins on your hands
Protruded when you print

Tracing your letters reverently
Along the fine inscribing
Straining to master the strokes
To write like you neatly
As a child following a path
Led along with such care
I watched unwatched
When you guided me there

Treasured over the years
Ridden in times left behind
Traces of your writing
Still embedded in mine
Comfort me endless
When I yearn for your love
When I feel your presence
When I write
A legacy that I carry
In my pen