Written piece
Heirloom
Shyamolima Saikia
India
About this piece
The poem is about the bond of a mother with her daughters. It is about a mother who sacrifices everything, toils and works with hope of bringing up her children in the most caring and loving way.Here, the mother depicted is skilled in sewing.
My mother wove her way with toil,
sacrifice, and patience,
knitting with her expert hands
warm, cozy sweaters
to shield us from the scathing cold.
Each winter thus made
jollier to glide by
amidst life's adversities
My mother sewed the rough edges of life,
making amends for
what was beyond our reach.
She sewed with her deft hands,
her creative mind and focused eyes,
intricate embroideries
on table and cushion covers,
bedsheets, our handkerchiefs, and more!
For every Bihu and puja festivity
she stitched us lacy, pretty frocks.
My mother stitched every patch of life
thus with renewed hope,
letting not a word of regret
surface on her face.
She stitched her way with rigor and passion,
forever engrossed and unmindful
of life’s bitterness.
Her skilled hands are a legacy;
her handiwork, an heirloom
bequeathed to us in a way
different, though our passion now—
my sister paints and I write.
We knit, sew, and stitch
with colours and words.
A thread invisible binds us:
the thread of unparalleled love
Sewn by our mother
In a tapestry of selfless care
To be handed down
Generation after generation...