you are the Mother
You are the mother By Mahagama Sekara He pressed his knees on the velvet smooth ground And worshipped the place Where his mother lay buried There had sprung a flower White and nameless Which he kissed bowing his head You are my mother who carried me in the womb For about ten months And bought me into the world You are the mother who With endless suffering nurtured me in this world You who, having boiled the leaves of the sweet potato And sprinkled salt and mixed in coconut Fed me when I cried in hunger You got up early in the morning And cooked the snack to be sold in the bar And with those small profits clothed me You oiled my hair and Hung the panchayuda around my neck Took me by the hand And brought me to school You walked through bushes thorny and wild Brought the rushes and dyed them red and green Wove fancy patterned mats and Taught me in childhood itself that this universe has a pattern I did not know, mother ...