Mother Poem by Runita R Menezes

As I sit and stare at the wide stretch of sea,
I think of all the people who have loved me.
Your name comes first on the list,
The person whose love the most I miss.

You were always there in good times and in bad
Always ready to comfort whenever I was sad.
You helped me take my first little steps
I owe you my life and am forever in your debt.

You made me realise my weaknesses and faults
And stood by me when no one cared at all.
You sacrificed your needs so that we could be
You suffered in silence but never let us see.

You were my true and most sincere friend,
Whose love will stay within me till the very end.
I wish I could have told you in those living years
But all that is left is anguish and tears,

Evenso, I hope you can hear these words that I say,
While in your resting place, silently you lay
Yes I know there can and will be no other
To replace the woman I once called, ‘ Mother’.


November 1995