Journey Divine (Poem For Januz Gonsalves' Mother) Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

O' Grieving Mother
even if you wail aloud
even if you cry all night
even if you shout all day
even if you moan and mourn
for months and years
for a full lifetime, with tears
nothing will let you forget
the empty coffin, the empty grave;
O' mother of Januz
how will your grief ever vanish
how will your tears ever subside
knowing that they took away your child
whom you wanted to kiss for one last time
before the curtain of life would roll down;
grief is enough hard to bear
but as he was not there, anywhere
empty felt home and hearts that loved him;
each one kept searching for him
in their own way, praying waiting for a miracle
but he was gone away from their clasp;
no hand to hold, no forehead to kiss
the last goodbye remained so incomplete.
O' Mother of Januz
where were the eyes of mercy
where were the tears of pity
when on that Altar of hope you prayed
and waited for your child
to be brought home for one last time
and say goodbye to a mother
whose heart was so filled with sorrow?
Will time ever let you forget
the pain of him not being there
when in that final moment
a mother would want to touch her child's face
and ask - "my son how could you depart
before me without my permission? "
but that question remained back,
for a mother could not find her son
nor could the son get a final hug or a caress
from his mother before he would travel alone
on that journey divine.