a spirited wish from one
afar, greetings flow
uninterruptedly, messages
flash with quotes.
Returning each with gratitude,
I stay overwhelmed with
joy. Honoured, by the near
and dear, I feel elated.
As the day passes, a friend calls.
She asks me did your sons’
express their love, I pout, a gesture
to indicate they did not.
She waxes eloquently of Corona,
the second wave, the disaster,
lockdown. I listen to her lecture
My mind elsewhere,
Have I not been a good mother?
Been strict in their school days.
making them work hard. Perhaps.
they hold a grudge.
The mobile rings., my first one
is on line, chats for an hour hangs up
Dismayed, I go back to my work, interrupted
by the second, who asks me
about how things are progressing
advises me to slow down. The youngest
comes in between, chides me
for exerting beyond my capacity.
The three musketeers leave without
a slightest thought to wish me.
Meenas Poems 