1.MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX

KAMALA DAS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Kamala Das (31 March,1934- 31 May, 2009) was born in Malabar, Kerala.She is recognised as one of the India's foremost poets. Her Works are Known for their originality,versatility and the indigenous flavour of soil. Kamala Das has published many novels and short stories in English and Malayalam under the name" Madhavikutty ".Some of her works in English include the novel Alphabet of Lust (1977),a collection of short stories Padmavati the Harlot and other stories (1992),in addition to five books of poetry. She is a sensitive writer who capture the complex the subtleties of human relationship in lyrical idiom,My Mother at sixty-six is an example.

WRINKLED FACE

MERRY CHILDREN

late winters moon

COCHIN AIRPORT

Driving from my parents home to Cochin last Friday

 morning, I saw my mother,beside me,

doze,open mouthed,her face ashen like that

of a corpse and realised with pain

that she thought away ,and looked but soon

put that thought away,and looked out at young

trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

 out of their homes,but after the airports

 security check,standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winters moon and felt that old

familiar ache, my childhoods fear,

but all i said was, see you soon, Amma

all I did was smile and smile and smile.....Kamala Das 

कविता का हिंदी सारांश :

कमला दास पिछले शुक्रवार को सुबह अपने माता- पिता के घर से कोचीन  एयरपोर्ट जाती है।  कार में उसके साथ बगल में उसकी माता जी बैठी होती है जिनकी उम्र ६६ वर्ष हो चुकी है। जब वह अपनी माता जी को देखती है तो वह खुले मुंह से कार में सो रही होती है। उसकी माता का चेहरा इतना कमजोर हो गया है कि मृत शरीर के समान राख रंग लिए हुए था। वह अपनी माता की तुलना एक मृत शरीर से करती है। कवियत्री अपनी माता को इस रूप में देखकर बड़ा दुःख होता है। अब वह समझ जाती है कि उसकी माता का साथ उसके साथ ज्यादा लम्बा नहीं है। इस दुखद सोच से अपना ध्यान बांटने के लिए दूसरे साइड कार से बाहर झांकती है। जब वह बाहर देखती है तो पाती है कि हरे भरे जवान पेड़ पीछे की तरफ भाग रहे है और छोटे बच्चे घरों से बाहर खेलने के लिए दौड़ रहे है। और उन्हें देखकर कवियत्री का मन प्रसन्न हो जाता है।परन्तु  जब कवियत्री  एयरपोर्ट पहुँचती है और उसका सिक्योरिटी चेक हो रहा होता है तो फिर वह कुछ दूरी से अपनी मां  की तरफ दुबारा देखती है तो फिर अपनी मां को इतना दुर्बल, बुजुर्ग पाती  है कि  उसकी तुलना शर्दियों में देर से आने आने चाँद से करती है जो काफी फीका लगता है। और फिर उसको वही मां से बिछड़ने का बचपन वाला डर वापस आ जाता है। वह सोचती है कि शायद अगली बार अपनी माँ को देख पायेगी या नहीं परन्तु फिर भी  अपने दिल को सांत्वना  हुए कमला दास अपनी माँ से मुस्कुराते हुए कहती है कि  माँ जल्दी मिलेंगे।  और फिर कमला दास मुस्कुराई , मुस्कराई  और मुस्कराई। ...   

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE POEM
In this poem, the poetess relates a personal experience. Through it, she brings out a common paradox of human relationships. Sometimes,we do feel deep sympathy for someone but we fail to express it in a proper manner.

It was a Friday morning. The poetess was driving from her parents home to the Cochin airport. Her mother was sitting beside her in the car . The mother was then sixty-six years old. While going, the poetess turned to look at her mother. she found that the mother was dozing and her mouth was open. Her face was as pale as that of a dead person. the poetess painfully realised that her mother was not going to live long .but soon she drove this painful thought away from her mind. She started looking at the young trees on the roadside that seemed to be running fast. She saw children running out of their houses in joy.
After reaching the airport, the poetess went through the security check. Her mother was standing outside a few yards away. After the security check, the poetess again looked at her mother from that distance. the mothers face was pale white. It was as pale as the face of the moon in late winter. The poetess felt an old familiar ache in her body. It was like she used to feel in her  childhood when some fear overpowered her. Yet she spoke no word to her mother .All that she said was,"See you soon Amma "the only thing the poetess did was smile and smile and smile.

SPRINTING

Word- Notes:

Doze –  sleep

Corpse – Dead body

Sprinting – running

Spilling- going out

Wan – colourless

Q.1-  Poets mother was at sixty-six. Why did she go to Cochin airport with her?

Ans-  Mother’s love is indefinable. Though the poetess was grown up, the link of maternal love dragged her to Cochin airport. She got satisfaction to bid the poet farewell.

Q2- what kind of pain and ache that the poetess feel?

Ans- Poetess mother at sixty- six. She is sick. She has lost her energy and colour. The poet feels the pain and ache of insecurity of parting from her ageing mother.

Q.3-  Why are the young trees described as sprinting?

Ans- This question has also a symbolic meaning. The young trees have energy and lively life. They seem running fast. The other meaning is while the poet’s car speeds ahead, the young trees seem running back.

Q.4- Why has the poetess brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?

Ans- The merry children ‘ spilling out of their homes’ present an image of happiness, energy and lively life. They are enjoying the golden period of their life in contrast of the poetess mother who is sitting beside her in the car. She looks lifeless and pale like a corpse. She presents an image of ageing, decay and passively.

 Q.6. Why has the mother been compared to the late winters moon?

Ans. The mother has turned sixty- six. She looks pale and week. She has lost her shine and energy of life. The late winter’s moon looks pale and weak. It also loses its shine in the haze and mist of the winter. Hence the mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon.

Q.5. What do the parting words of the poetess and her smile signify?

Ans. The poetess parting words- see you soon Amma- give assurance and hope to her old mother that she will come soon to see her mother. The word smile has been repeated thrice. It expresses poet’s intense feeling of love and affection for the broken heart of her mother.