POEM_: My Mother; My Life

There was, once, a woman in my life,
She wasn’t in my life, she lived my life.
Then one day, I asked her for my life,
and she told me –
Your life isn’t yours at all;
It is mine, for I gave it to you.

I said –
You live one, and I live one;
we are equal, one and one.
No, she said –
You are unjust, you are cruel,
I shall have both,
And you have none.
How dare you call us equal
when I am the creator and you
The created!
How could you be,
if it were not for me?
You are, because I am,
and still I could be,
even if you weren’t.

I did not know what to say.
I looked around, then said:
I wouldn’t be if you were not,
yes, and I wouldn’t be if Time were not,
And if Love and Beauty,
Desire and Liberty,
Mind and Matter,
were not;
and so wouldn’t you be!
Why shouldn’t I give my life
to them?
And I have none,
and you have one?

- owais

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This was earlier published in Poetry Chronicle and in the book, 'Love?'