Farewell Dear Son

Where are you?
My dear son,
Where are you?
I search among the passengers
for his radiant face.
Hi Ma, Hi Pa!
Dear me, hasn’t he changed?
My dear son, where is the
shy quiet boy who bid us
Good-bye four years ago?

In the car, back home
I fondly listen to his
Animated talk about the
Land he loves, the land of
The statue of liberty

But he becomes tongue-tied
My dear son, as we draw near home
It’s good to be back, says he
Evergreen memories flood me
How can I forget the time, when
He fell from a tree
When he was just three
Or the time when he failed in maths
And was afraid to come home
Fearing father’s wrath!

Or the time when he sat working
Till the wee hours
Ignoring my pleas to go to bed?
Or the time when he left me
For the land of his fantasy
Which was beckoning him
Only three weeks with you
My dear son
Will it ever suffice?
Why does time fly when all
You want is to hold tight
And savour every moment
For an eternity?

And once again the dreaded airport
I hate its very sight as though
Tis the enemy which has plucked my son
Away from me.
With a hug and a kiss, he’s off
Sucked into a sea of people. 

Where are you, my dear son
Where are you?
My heart screams in silent agony
A reassuring pat on my shoulder
Pacifies me
Worldly wisdom shone in my life partner’s eyes.
“The world has not ended. Let him live his life and let us live ours”
Hand in hand we go back home awaiting
The day four years hence.

Image by Freepik