Driving from my parent’s
The poem 'My Mother at Sixty-six' by Kamala Das captures a poignant moment of realization and reflection as the poet observes her aging mother during a car ride to Cochin. The poem begins with a vivid image of the poet's mother dozing with her mouth open, her face ashen and corpse-like, which evokes a painful awareness of her mother's frailty and mortality. This realization is momentarily set aside as the poet distracts herself by observing the lively world outside, symbolized by young trees and merry children. However, the inevitable confrontation with her mother's vulnerability returns when she sees her again at the airport, appearing wan and pale like a late winter's moon. This imagery underscores the poet's deep-seated fear of losing her mother, a fear rooted in childhood. Despite the emotional turmoil, the poet chooses to mask her feelings with a smile, offering a hopeful farewell. The poem beautifully encapsulates themes of aging, familial love, and the universal fear of separation, using vivid imagery and a reflective tone.
| Word | In English | Plain (English) | Pron. |
|---|---|---|---|
| ashen | pale | very pale, like ashes | aash-en |
| corpse | dead body | a body of a dead person | korps |
| realised | understood | became aware of | ree-uh-lized |
| sprinting | running fast | moving quickly | sprint-ing |
| wan | pale | looking sick or tired | won |
| pale | light in color | lacking color | pail |
| ache | pain | a continuous pain | eik |
| familiar | well-known | something known from before | fuh-mil-yur |
| Amma | mother | a term for mother | uhm-mah |
Kamala Surayya, also known as Kamala Das, was an Indian poet and author known for her work in both English and Malayalam. Her writing is celebrated for its originality and candid exploration of female sexuality. She was a prominent columnist and an iconoclast in her generation.
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