THIS WHOLE NEW WORLD

[Anu Jikku]

The following is a poem I wrote as schools reopened fulltime after having all of my three kids, two of them teenagers, attending school online for almost two years during the Corona era.. Our small world was almost completely isolated during this time and I worked hard trying to make sure they came out of this unscathed. This was penned on the morning I dropped them to school first time together in my car, after almost two years, and the World was ready to move on.

THIS WHOLE NEW WORLD

Finally every hour the schools bells will be rung,
The echoes of masked laughter will be heard,
In freshly ironed uniforms and heads no longer hung,
Begins the return to normal life in this whole new world.

I reflect back on my two years of chaos,
24/7 not just a mother, but cook, medic, teacher, chauffeur, counsellor, tech support, exam co-ordinator and basically the errand boy,
A personal shopper, fashion designer, local events manager, spiritual advisor and sometimes the mighty Thanos,
But they know I’ve got their backs as I navigate the teenage minefields in this whole new world.

A hug in the morning reminded me of the magnitude,
Of the times I held them in my arms and heart with trepidation,
A tear drop escaped as I watched with gratitude,
As they stepped out of the car, into this whole new world.

~SomewhatMom

[Tobi Adefila]

WOW! This is so lovely. Motherly love, I love to see it.