To My Parents

To My Parents

In my first hour, when I was little

You held me in your hands

Your eyes filled with pride

Your heart with extra warmth

Your loved ones surround you

And the cute little baby you had

‘My child shall grow up, be pretty and successful’

And every block of it

Built something beautiful

Something to look forward to

As I grew up, my every move

Made you excited,

And you  waited for more

My little successful ventures

Built confidence in you

But as time passed by

You found

There were even more failures

Your child is not how you wanted her to be

Not an all rounder, not a class topper

Not any prodigy you read in the papers

But someone, worse than ordinary

Someone, who wouldn’t do even a simple thing right

You may find her lazy, selfish and clumsy

She does not even know the basics

Others know at her age

Other parents have better children, you think

And yours, an ugly little thing

Whom your loved ones have started to detest

And slowly you, yourself felt,

And wished and prayed,

If you had someone better

To call as your child

She grows up and wails, and throws tantrums,

Loses her temper and shouts absurdities

People feel sorry for you, and you for yourself

But hides all this, and wears a smile

A bright satin sheet that covers the mess

Beneath it, here your erupting woes

And when I am sad, you wrap your arms

Around me and tell me

It will be alright, when it won’t

You give me the confidence to pursue my dreams

Even when I have no ability for it.

You tell me you love me

But what you do not know is

How much I love you.

My thoughts revolve around you, and every move

I make depends on you

I tried to fit in the mould

The society and you made for me

I tried to build the castle you dreamt of

But forces pull me, drag me down

From being your ideal child

Desires and distractions make me sway

But nothing forgetting you, had been done

But alas, I failed in my attempt

I do not know how parents feel

As I was never one myself

But you, my two pillars of life, must know

That little monster you see externally,

Is a little child, who loves you deeply

Arathi Menon