That Was Not To Be

Oh! it is my mother 
 One with many skills 
 proficient in knitting,
 does beautiful embroidery,
 plays Veena, executes 
business deals, over and above
 raises the six of us
 each having distinctive
characteristics.

She tries to teach me 
 all the crafts she mastered
 I perform so badly, disappointed 
 lets me go on my own, The only skill
 I learnt is that of stringing flowers.
one, two, three, I go 
start doing with leaves first
 then with big flowers
 finally with jasmine.
I accomplish, 

Doing that in earnest 
every evening with 
fresh flowers from 
the garden, I keep going
 thinking of my mother, If only 
 I had tried the other ones
 I sigh with grief, mother would
 be the happiest. I would have 
turned a pro, a precursor to all that 
being done with hand.