The World's Greatest Woman

There is one woman
Who's been there for me
Since before I came into
This world to see.

She held me within her
Nourishing, nurturing, growing
For forty weeks, I was protected
Within her womb, not knowing.

The pain she bore to see me through
And open my eyes to the world.
And visualise for the very first time
The colours of the world unfurled.

She saw me through my ages
She taught me with great skill
She held my hand while I walked
And fulfilled my every will.

She taught me my first words
And number, oh so many
She cultivated in me an intuition
So accurate, so uncanny.

She bore with my silly tantrums
Through my teenage years
She wiped away with a loving finger
All my disappointed tears.

She tutored me with patience
So great, as yet I still wonder.
She strove so hard, and washed away
Every naively committed blunder.

She raised me with such hardship
Yet she gave me so willingly away
To my husband with such a sacrifice
With tears on my wedding day.

She stood besides my bed
In the hospital in which I lay.
Screaming in excruciating agony
Gentle yet firm her hand would stay.

And then she took into her stride
My little one, my child
Whilst I was away at work all day
And raised it up so mild.

She was always there by my side
When I needed her, or not.
Yet I never really said thank you
Althought it was always in my thoughts.

And now it is far too late
I stood with tears down my cheeks.
While she lay in a hospital bed
For perhaps her final weeks.

Then she turned towards me and spoke
With an obvious great effort.
She said, 'Don't cry, my dear child,
I cannot bear to see you hurt.'

And then I took her into my arms
And whispered at last that day
'Thank you so much, I love you, ma.'
Then, smiling, my mother passed away.

Mangesh Sonawane