Daughter

She beheld her brand-new baby-girl
With eyes brimmed with love,
Couldn't believe this miracle
That fate had deigned to bestow.

It was as if the gates had opened
To let joy and cheer come in,
She lived to see her darling girl smile
And wallow in others' compliments and preen.

From infant to girl,
From girl to adolescent,
The years flying by
Made the joy effervescent.

The gradual shift from mother to friend,
The branded clothes, the summer vacations,
She now had to jostle for space
Among her darling's many occupations.

Still content to be on the periphery,
She was there to support her girl
Through adolescent crushes & exam fever
How the years passed by in a whirl!

Soon the girl turned into a lady,
And wanted dearly to fly,
Further studies and career ambitions
Her luck she craved to try.

With a heavy heart but always smiling,
She cut the apron strings,
And let her baby soar
On newly-acquired wings.

Soon her nest was empty,
For the bird had flown forever,
With not even a tear for her mother
So caught up was she in her fever.

New challenges beckoned,
And never a dearth of suitor,
New places to visit,
Who had time for the mother.

But never a day passed
When mother did not miss her girl,
Tears were now a part of life,
The smiles had departed with her pearl.