Updated date:

Jan 28, 2020

An Ode to my Grandmother

Author:: Tiyasha Maitra

A whiff of that particular smell

That soft smooth thread

which brushed against the cheek

A familiar hug of that velvet-like skin

and a slight caress of the head.

Scratch my itchy back and then you mine

while we lie by one another,

Just a touch of the presence.

Evenings spent munching on potato fritters,

She gave me a coin or two

to get some snacks and coolers,

We sat together in bliss and gratitude

with such an elated feeling of luck

To enjoy a bond so grand

between a grandma and her protégé.

Like brother or sister or a mother or a teacher

Like nothing in words or a name to point

A unity that’s unitary

not replicable nor storable.

Gone are those times,

just a hint remains

Will I forget that face, that warmth

and that very tiny smile

as time goes by and my hair grows grey.

Will I not feel that immense power of dependence,

that magnetic influence

as my skin wrinkles and memories betray.

Candid photos are what remains

Far beyond the time in sense,

As I look back at the years in film

I reminisce the silver times we spent.

Comments

Tiyasha Maitra (author) from Gurgaon on December 07, 2019:

Thanks so much Manatita. I am relatively new to poetry. So it means a lot that you appreciate my work. Thanks a lot for your encouragement. Looking forward to those beauties.

manatita44 from london on December 07, 2019:

You are an excellent poet. I'm proud of you, my Didi Ji. I will send you some beauties tomorrow, inshal'lah.

Your poetry is an epitome of beauty and your grandmother is quite charming. You have brought her inner sweetness to life. Om Shanti!!

Tiyasha Maitra (author) from Gurgaon on November 29, 2019:

Thanks Chitangada. You are right, the bond with a grandparent is very unique and special. I was very close to my maternal grandmother particularly. This poem is in her memory. Thanks for reading.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on November 29, 2019:

A touching and beautiful tribute to your grandmother, through your well composed poem!

The relationship between the grandparents and the grandchildren, is perhaps the sweetest thing. And your poem expresses that beautifully.

Thanks for sharing.

Prativa chakravarty on November 27, 2019:

So nice and a very touching tribute to your grandmom...wish my grand child to cpmpose such lines...

Tiyasha Maitra (author) from Gurgaon on November 27, 2019:

Hey Nikki, thanks so much. Yes, I am sure she is happily smiling from the top.

Nikki Khan from London on November 27, 2019:

This is so tremendous tribute to your Grandma, Tiyasha. She would be smiling in Paradise now. It sounds to be a strong bonding with your Grandma's.

Tiyasha Maitra (author) from Gurgaon on November 27, 2019:

Thanks so much John and Lorna. My grandma was my best friend and I do miss her a lot. Thus a verse to capture her memories through words.