How To Say 'I Love You'

My mum taught me how to say 

'I Love You” 

through the things that I do.

I didn't understand

how the things I do

could stand in for my voice.

'I want you to look in the mirror'

Mum would say...

I will steady my tiny boy legs

before the mirror and stare

at my bare chest

and stifle a chuckle;

my ears appeared funny.

'Look at yourself'

Mum's voice whispered softly behind my large ears.

I will look at the reflection of myself

and chuckle at my funny ears...

'This is it, son...

when you laugh at yourself

you ridicule the poor and helpless 

in the streets'

She points at the scar on my knee.

'I want you to see every scar, 

every wrinkle, 

every grey hair as a badge of honour.'

'I want you to see in your reflection a sick man

and behind you a nurse, mother, medicine; 

the medicine you need to heal our shared pain. 

I want you to think back to the times 

you were hungry

and there was no food to eat.

How I brought your toothless mouth to nipples

and gave the last drop

of my nectar.

I want you to remember how you go searching in the river, 

for periwinkles that don't exist

smudging or patrolling the streets, 

picking nuts 

and driving me nuts...

and remember how I took you in

scrubbed your body

washed your rags

without a scowl on my face

or a slap on your face'

I'm standing before the mirror

looking at a piece of love

a reflection of my mum

Me...

Her example is the blueprint

I needed to move into the future. 

Mum never said 'I love you'

to the hearing of my large funny ears

Yet her actions, 

like the music of an Oriental Orchestra

reverberates in my subconscious.

It sings thus:

Love is not a thousand sweet wordsLove is not a well inked poemLove is the little little things you do

Mum is long gone

Yet daily I dance the tune 

her flute dictates

doing good 

to folks that love and hate...

Showing the world 

how to love

how to be relentless, 

how to be forgiving 

and how to be kind

not only with words

but actions.

#Pengician

#SSA