Written piece
Thread of the Umbilical Cord
Anisa Islam Suchona
Bangladesh
About this piece
A tribute to mothers and children living apart due to study or work, still connected by an invisible thread of love and care. This thread never breaks, holding their hearts together through memories, distance, and silent understanding.
Thread of the Umbilical Cord
I'm Sofia, far from home.
In a city where I'm all alone.
A different life, a distant land.
Yet some memories slip through my hand.
In crowded paths, my eyes still find
A face that brings my mother's mind.
A woman in a scarf, calm and near,
My mother's image appears here.
My days are heavy, full of rush,
Tiredness settles into a hush.
In the office cafeteria, Lunchbox opens, memories start.
School days echo in my heart.
My mother rose before the sun,
Packed my school lunch, carefully done.
Food is here, but something is missing,
No mother's scent, no warm feeling.
In the evening, I return home,
An emptiness greets me at the door.
No one is waiting like before,
No love that lingers at the door.
As night falls deep, I miss her near,
When pain strikes, no hands are here.
A sudden phone ring breaks the silence,
Her name flashes, and my eyes freeze.
Her soft voice, her gentle face on video,
Without words, she knew and healed me in silence.
I stay silent.
How did she know?
Before I sink into night's silence,
I realize it again:
Distance is just a word of pain,
An unseen thread binds us again.
The umbilical bond still holds us close,
Apart in distance, never in soul.