Amma's Hands
I
The sun rises and falls, time passes—why?
My eyes are fixed on my amma’s glistening honey-kissed skin and the dark ladders on her fingers.
Reminiscent of her mother’s and with every
touch, I’m astonished how time never
seems to visit my amma.
II
Let the work be done.
III
My amma is an insomniac. so, the rising and falling of the sun is unknown
to her. Her fingers are constantly tapping the keys of a tablet in the stillness
of night as she plans my secret birthday gifts, or texts me inspiring nuggets
for my future.
and through the nights,
her eyes
never flicker.
IV
My amma with an elegant grace never ceases to amaze me.
Let time tick. With the morning’s rise, my mother is working steadfast
in the kitchen, washing dishes as water pulls the dirt from under her nails, cooking on the stove, as oil sparks up from the pans and burns her.
Are scars bad? My hands wonder as I examine a heart shaped one
from birth, another reminder of my amma’s resilience.
Does the day tell a story?
IV
Unless the sun is the ruler. Unless the stars are anything but balls of energy. Unless
sleep is an indication of motherhood.
My amma’s hands are the making of god.
V
after all, they bandaged my knees after my tragic encounters with concrete sidewalks fed me by hand a mixture of chicken, olive oil, and basmati rice at the unusualness of 4:00pm combed through my hair from the roots of my head to my hips until I was 10 years of age caressed me at birth and nurtured me to health three months earlier than expected from the moment my eyes open, I saw her place her hand inside of mine and witness the forming of my heart shaped scar
VI
day or night: my amma’s eyes don’t recognize the difference
mother and daughter: the sun
I
The sun rises and falls, time passes—why?
My eyes are fixed on my amma’s glistening honey-kissed skin and the dark ladders on her fingers.
Reminiscent of her mother’s and with every
touch, I’m astonished how time never
seems to visit my amma.
About the Author: Naya Dukkipati is 18 years old from Dallas, Texas. She is a senior in Alcuin School who recently published her poetry book, Enough, which aims to help young girls overcome adversity. She has been previously published in her school’s creative writing magazine and in Youth Be Heard. Some of her other work can be found on her website: fadeintohue.com
