Life’s train hurtles, shakes and moves along
I hold on to the rails for dear life and breath
Surely I heard her whispering in my ear
“Be careful when it brakes, you might fall”
She combed my hair even in unkempt teenage
Said she didn't like lice from my pretty girl friends
I had none, but still I said “Amma, You are right”
I loved the feeling of her hand on my forehead
She never failed to say “be careful”
Fed me by hand even as a six footer
Her recipes were divine- friends testified
But nothing tasted better than her fingers in your mouth
And then her mind sank to depths of darkness unseen
She talked about death as if it were a friend
The winter morning came, she went unseen
But not before ordering milk for the evening sweet
The milk grew cold on the lifeless stove
The house grew crowds-loved and unloved
Fire avenged the divine gift at dusk
Under cold waves the ashes dispersed
But today I hear yesterday’s melodies
The ones that put us brats to sleep
Life’s train hurtles, shakes and moves along
And I wait for the lullabies unsung.
