My eyes shielded
With cataracts of Mother’s opinion,
refused to allow my nanny to feed me
With fingers darker than mine,
the steel spoon on my lips
made me wonder
why did I choose cold over warmth?
Mother’s hands though white
Felt like hot tea gone cold
When I needed a re-assuring squeeze
And my whole being ached for my nanny’s
Overwhelming warmth
Like a hobo
On a winter night
Her latent talent in palmistry intrigued me
When Mother had no interest in my future
Grateful, I wanted to return the favour
But as I looked at those hands
I had refused all those years ago
Guilt consumed me like tongues of fire
And I held her palms under the light
As the dust from my eyes blew away
And I wished I had been born colour-blind
Her skin as human as mine
Twinkled like crystals
Her lines as natural as mine
Revealed paths to the depths of her soul
Her veins as green as mine
Only less prominent
Hinted at her undiscovered beauty,
An artist’s muse
Deprived of exposure
She then squeezed my fingers
And granted me the warmth I had longed for
Assuring me
I have a future
And the past was forgiven
___
The Poet: Chelle Viegas is the newly-adopted pseudonym of Michelle D’costa. Her Mom recently started calling herself Chelle and she is loving it. Viegas is her Mother’s maiden Chelle is paying reverence to it.
