Mother Of Us All Poem by Anil Karki

Mother of the long silences
That pinned us to our chairs,
Where were you in your body
If not here with us?

Mother of the disappearance
That shadowed Father's face,
When did you decide you'd to leave us.

Mother of the diminishing voice
That broke into chalk,
How could we've known there're things
You'd wanted to tell us?

Mother of the busy hands
That tore at the spiked tongues,
What were you pulling, hiding at dusk for us?

Mother of the prayer beads
That pooled on our pillows,
What're you murmuring,
Hands like paper pressed from us?

Mother of the snakes
That coiled around each wrist,
Did it ever occur to you to poison us?

Mother of the stolen roses
That faded like kisses,
Why so pale by the windows,
Peering in at us?

Mother of the mirrors
That disassembled the walls,
How many times did we see you look beyond us?