POEM_: Dialogues with Mother: X

I was never good enough
for you, Mother.

I was not good enough
when I got admission to a good school.
You wanted the best,
so you asked me to lie
that I did get admitted
to the best one,
but for practical reasons,
am going to the lesser.

You told me to tell all
that I chose
to go to a distant college
as it saved a year,
and offered a better course
though the fact was that
I did not get admitted
to the college, closer home.

When I took up a job
in a distant city,
you asked me to tell all
that it was only a training!

I am really grateful, Mother
for your pushing me
to reach ever higher. 
But if it was only for my sake,
why the shame?

Mother,
I am not your tool
to achieve your greatness.

It was my life, or was it yours?
Why did I have to fulfill your ambitions?
What of mine…?

You did well--
no indeed, great, from where you started.
Though that might not be as great
as you may have wanted it to be.
But remember, for me,
you are still
the greatest mother on Earth.
Warts and all.

I never asked
for a similar pride
but, why can you simply
not be ashamed of me?


- owais



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This is first being published here.