I Miss my ma, Especially now That COVID-19 Separates Us

Photo by Dragon Images via Shutterstock.com

“Ma” was written during Mother’s Day in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. Separated loved ones scrambled to learn new ways of the world: become technical, embrace Zoom or shed tears from not knowing when they would meet again. This poem is a tribute to all mums and children who may not be together, whether they’re separated by distance on the globe or the boundaries of life and death.

[Read Related: An ode to all the Women In the House]

Ma

In the turbulent waters of this world
High tides and heavy winds
Your hand is the soothing plush on my cheek
Your embrace is a blanket of joy, Ma

Miles away we may be
Time zones, COVID, countries apart
But my heart beats at the same pace
Yours did when I put my head in your bosom and cried

The roti your hands roll
The daal you sprinkle masala on
The saag you blend together
Forms the morsel of my life, Ma

As I cradle my chai and look out the window
I think of you today
The warmth of my cup, half that you gave
Ma, I love you more every passing day

[Read Related: Helping my Immigrant Mother Write an Email Made me Understand How Women of Color are Uniquely Capable of Revolutionizing the English Language]

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