My Mother Poem by Paul Sebastian

With my birth came my mother.
Crying in my pangs of hunger
She fed me at her breasts
In her warm arms I’d rest
Gurgled as she kissed and caressed
Picked and cradled me on her hip side
Love embraced me whenever I cried.

Fed me seated on the floor at her knees
Telling me some stories of fire engines
Made frightening sounds of their sirens,
Awed, jaws dropped, I’d listen in silence.
She’d somehow trick me to eat,
Knowing I was lean and weak.
My mother!

Some Indian snacks she’d have made
When I turned up at evening break
Gave me a thorough bath in the shower
Dabbed me all over with baby powder
In my striped shorts and T-shirt I would wait
For my dinner which never did come late.
My mother!

With a fresh cut wound I would rush to her
She’d leave her chores to see whether
There was something of serious matter
Washed my wound with warm water
Then, again with drops of Dettol
Bandaged it with gauze spread with Burnol
My mother!

Volunteered her love through the years
Always tarried in her fervent prayers-
Less for herself but more for loved ones;
Interceding constantly for others needs and wants.
My mother!

Cared I recited the rosary prayers well
Her unshakable faith always before her
Her faith life made our own faith swell
Reminding us: prayer keeps us together
My mother!

Grandchildren thrived in her showering love
Weekend special treats and entrees expressed her love
Gave me her secret recipes and taught me how to cook
Earned my scouting cook-badge: in good stead I stood
My mother!

The fast passing years kept her strong and steadfast
Been a beacon light for those in some kind of duress
The aging years made her ever wiser, though quieter
Listening to my life stories, she’d in deep thoughts wander
My mother!

Rushing sunset years saw her frail and weak
My wife and I nursed her as she often fell sick
Some wicked flu got her succumbed to pneumonia
Hospital doctors and nurses tried to survive her
She struggled hard to breathe, her chest heaved…
Helplessly faced her last moments, I grieved…
With tearing eyes, my last words were:
Ma, pray with me as I pray you over
She nodded to join our hearts in prayer, for the last time
Precious, priced moment sharing love…for the last time
Doctor and nurse rushed in to attend to her
In God’s merciful and healing hands, I left her

An hour later I get a call:
My mother had left us all.
Lord, take her into kingdom,
Rest her on your bosom
For she was such a blessed soul
Her love story remains to be told.
To God be the glory!