7th April, 2019

Seven!
How many times
To forgive Lord?
Is seven times enough?
Asked of Jesu,
He thus replied,
“Not seven times
But seventy times seven!”

Ma passed on.
It was the 3^rd of March,
A bright Sunday like many
Childhood ones spent
In her embrace.
Today, a month has passed,
And I remember so much.
Her recounting to us children,
This noble tale
From a cherry red bound
Encyclopaedia, Bishwakosh!
The World Encapsulated!
She read us stories from the Bible
Pancha Tantra, The Puranas,
The Illiad and the Odyssey
As well.
She sang, danced, built
Clay dolls for us.
Our tedious sins forgiven
In her placid grace.

I realise now, the stories
by themselves,
For all their wealth of
Meaning and morals,
Would have been meaningless.

Had she not lived her life
By soft sublime light of soaring ideals
Had she not, led us by humble example.

Never once heard from her pretty lips
One harsh word of petty gossip escaped.
Stranger to cruel unforgiving taunts,
She dwelt in the cosy land of kindred laughter,
Abided by lofty peaks of majestic ideals,
Love, imagination and kindness, where
The sun shone on her modest inspired nature.

Seven times dear mother,
Nay Ma! Seventy times seven!
I shall remember you,
My mercy and joy
Forgiveness and balm,
In the, at times harsh,
Sentence of life.