Sometimes Poem by Aparna Chatterjee

Sometimes,
The onions
Come to my rescue.
Sometimes, the
Choking on the food.
Sometimes, the smoke
From the firewood.

The tears in my eyes
Just wouldn’t stop
And I know the reason
Why.
But have to hide them
From my children.
If they ask me why,
I can’t tell them why.

Sometimes, hiding
Doesn’t work.
So if they see it,
They wonder why…
Then I tell them
Stories of how
Invisible particles
Prick my eyes.

So now, they just guess
It could be the onions,
The smoke, the particles
Or the choking that plagues
Mummy sometimes,
Don’t know why…