by B. R. GOWANI
‘Mother and Child,’ ink on paper by Maqbool Fida Husain IMAGE/Caravan
to say that in this whole world only you were the best
would hurt all those who still have their best
it would severely pain those who have lost their best
and also all those who are not with their best
I only say this much:
Bä, you were not just unselfish –
but, in your motherly love, you were selfless
after thirty-four long months we met
but you were quiet, calm, serene
thirty-six hours prior to our arrival
you had been silenced by forces of nature
I saw you, hugged you, kissed you
for more than half an hour
with your memories’ churning my mind
I kept watching and wishing you alive
you were unresponsive
it was, and still remains extremely painful –
but I have no complaint against you
I can well understand
your lack of retroaction
not out of your free will
but due forces beyond your might
otherwise I know, you would have embraced us
without delay or second thought
in less than ten hours
we had you settled in your final abode
reincarnation is an illusion –
a figment of human imagination
so meeting in this context is impossible
but potentially possible is:
following end of my existence,
if winds are blowing in the right direction
my atoms will blow towards yours
and thus let me merge with you
my Creator and Begetter
your last wish to see us
my wishes for your hugs and kisses
would, after this long and sorrowful gap
be finally fulfilled
who knows, maybe you will create me once more
and we will both be part of another Big Bang Saga
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com
(*Bä in Gujarati language means mother. It was on Friday June 26th, too long ago (or not), my Bä left this world. Above is a modified version written previously.)