Hey you, young mom
Who's forever exhausted
Often frustrated
While being delighted
Hey you, who feels no one gets it
(Maybe they do, maybe they don't)
Who wishes for once
Someone would see what she's doing
Feeling
Going through
Who craves empathy, not sympathy
Hey you, mommy
Who feels this is a lonely road
With or without a co-parent
Parts you've to walk alone
There are others like you
Invisibly walking alongside
Feeling alike
Hey you, who craves
A single night of full rest
Who steals moments to call her own
Wishes someone would officially
Permit me-time
You have permission. Go.
Hey you, who physically loves her children
Yet feels her body doesn't fully belong to her
And is instead at the whims and demands of this little rascal
Remember you were one, once?
You and this little thing
Your body feels the separation
As does hers
So gravitating towards each other
Don't mind this transition
You'll miss it once it's through
And you'll have your body back, fully
Hey you, always on the move
Rushing here, there
Always on an elastic band
Tied back home
To your little one
Like you're away on borrowed time
It's okay to feel happy
About being away and on your own
Enjoying the taste of freedom
As much as it's fun to revel
In the reunion
Once back home
You can have the best of both worlds.
Hey, new-age mother
Trying to always better yourself
It's okay to not do it all
To do it now
With your child
There is time, there will be time
Breathe. Pause.
The moment will pass you by
Before you know it
Your child's childhood
Will pass you by
It's okay if the clips don't match
Every once in a while
Heck, every time
(Your pre-teen won't put up with it though. My toddler often doesn't)
Mommy, my dear
It's okay if it isn't all clear
You haven't figured out your act
Are too busy getting by
Day to day
Look, catch your child's gurgle
Doesn't it put everything into perspective?
What you're doing is a big deal,
Even if every mother before you
Has done it
And several fathers too
(Except the birthing and feeding)
I'll make a big deal out of it
Watching your every move
Lauding your every success
The small steps
Of victory. Of growth.
You're not alone
Not one bit.
I want someone
To say all this to me
So I say it to myself instead.
Written on 04 May 2018 at 20:51hrs
On a flight from Mumbai to Chennai
