Mother

I know I haven’t been an easy child, 

There is no way I could be tamed or be mild.
At times, I need to scream and be apart,
But your tender touch is always there to ease my heart.

I get frightened when you are not in my sight,
You are the wall; the force to test my strength,
The chain I hammer at with all my might,
And yet you keep increasing its length.

It’s tough, I know, to be so calm and not be mad,
To at once play both good and bad,
Your care and faith never cease to come along.
The love against all odds still stays strong.

© Ila Garg

Sunday Surprise!

It was an unusual, rather lazy Sunday,
Everyone labelled it as the Mother’s Day.
I pondered on what to gift her,
Cards and flowers, I didn’t prefer.

I wanted to do something exceptional,
For my mother is so incredible.
In good spirits, I entered the kitchen,
And put on an apron; ready for the mission.

I took half a cup of cocoa and two cups of flour,
Then, kept looking for baking soda for another hour.
At last, I found it and took a teaspoon with great vigour.
Next, I added a pinch of salt and lots and lots of sugar.

I pulled out the recipe and read it on repeat,
Carefully, I switched on the oven to let it preheat.
After greasing the pan, I sprinkled some flour,
Cooking seems to be one of my mother’s superpower!

I sighed and poured a cup of milk, some melted butter,
And a tablespoon each of vanilla extract and vinegar.
Could you guess what I was busy making?
Yes, it was a chocolate cake in baking.

With a twinkle in my eye, I gave the batter a gentle mix,
And precisely added a little more milk as a quick fix.
Content with the results, I transferred the batter
to the greased pan; careful not to spatter.

Soon, the aroma enveloped the air and I heard a beep.
Quickly and excitedly, I reached my gloves in a leap.
The oven was hot so I called my elder brother,
Putting on the gloves, we placed the pan inside together.

That was followed by a long dreadful wait,
From a distance, I peeped to check the state.
With one final beep, the cake was done.
I took a whiff. Oh, I had so much fun!

At last, I spread some melted chocolate on the cake,
And put some red round raspberries for decoration sake.
I placed the cake before my mother’s eyes,

And then ecstatically yelled, ‘Surprise!’

© Ila Garg

Mother: My First Expert

So it is mother's day, that day of the year when we finally take out time for the one who doesn't ever look at time when we want her by our side. One can never cherish all the memories that they share with their mothers. After all, even before we enter this world, we develop a relation with her, an unsaid bond. She knows everything about us, even when we can't tell her anything. She understands when we need to talk, when we just need a hug, or when we want some space of our own. She becomes our closest friend, our companion and someone who will always be there even when everyone else turns their back at us.

Here's a poem for her that I wrote long back and keep dedicating it to her every time.

I know I haven't always been an easy child,

But love for you lies deep down in my heart.

There is no way I could be tamed or be mild,

I need to shout at times and be apart.

You're my everything, yet I'm not always right,

You are the wall; the force to test my strength,

The chain I hammer at with all my might,

Even though you have increased its length.

It's tough, I know, to be so calm and not be mad,

To raise me after all the jitters, and tad bliss,

To have to play at once good and bad,

Even after being angry, you give me a goodnight kiss.

But love against all odds is stronger still,

I need your untainted, pure love, and always will.