Father's Day Every Day Poem by Ruta Mohapatra

I remember you when I see my hands and feet
So similar to yours, smaller replicas of yours
I remember you when I hear a word, a sentence
Those you had the habit of quoting often

I see you in my mind's eyes, climbing stairs
Locking the gate at night, checking the doors
Sitting at your favorite table and burning
The midnight oil, poring over classics

I see you with the scooter dismantled
Oiling and putting the parts back together
I see you coming in from the market
Shopping bags full of green vegetables

I see you posing proudly, leaning on
The first car you purchased and maintained
Till it could run no more, because you got attached to it
Selling it as junk in the end

The way you got attached to and held onto people
Your family, your friends, your surroundings, life itself