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nish Aug 2018
when i was young
ammi packed me lunch
one strawberry jam sandwich
cut neatly into squares

as i grew older
and my tummy much bigger
(along with my appetite)
one turned into two
two to three
and finally
for some unknown reason
there were no strawberry jam sandwiches
but ammi still packed me lunch

it was tuna or chicken
maybe tomato and cheese
sometimes a pastry
i wasn't hard to please

and it never occurred to me
that my strawberry sandwiches
were gone

till one completely random day
i'm sitting with my friends
taking the first bite of my sandwich
a burst of strawberry fills my mouth
sweet, rich with sugar
it tastes red, good bright red
my strawberry jam sandwich came back
and i was bombarded by my childhood
playing on the swings sandwich in hand
red coated crumbs dotting my shirt
running out of class as soon as the bell rings
to munch munch munch
on my strawberry sandwiches

strawberry jam was never my favourite filling
but it filled me with memories
so occasionlly
when i'm feeling nostalgic
i'll pick up a slice, butter it up
spread my gooey, red friend
and share a sandwich with ammi.
I think that culture plays a huge part in any sort of creative work, in this case I decided not to use 'mom/mum' but 'ammi' which means mother in my language.
Something I remembered and wanted to share because I was eating strawberry jam with crackers just now.
Hope you enjoyed :)

'ammi' pronounced 'uhmmi'
Sharina Saad May 2013
I promised my PATI.. a chapati for breakfast
A plain chapati I passionately learnt to make
Oh.. What an impression I will make...
A marvelous chapati and a glass of milk
I will prepare with all my heart..
A SUPERB Chapati from a BIWI to her PATI..

I am a BAHU.... an obedient BAHU...to my SASU MAA..
Ohh and she will brag ... I am the best BAHU...
The best in India if not in the world...
I am so proud... What a chapati maker I am..
A super BIWI.. an obedient BAHU...
I will make superbb.... chapati...
The whole India will dance with me...
Dance in my kitchen with me....

But my SASUR requested for a Masala Chapati
And he wanted it for lunch... today
for dinner tonight and for breakfast tomorrow..
An obedient Bahu... I am.... A super Biwi I am..
Ohhh ...I am no MASALA CHAPATI maker...
Plain chapati... plain chapati thats what i learnt...

I searched for a recipe... MASALA CHAPATi...
Butter,Chilli and coriander powder..
I cook them all together...
Cumin seeds, vegetablas and GARAM MASALA..
Ohh la la la.... here goes the chapati masala...

Oppss... when everything is set..
My SALI comes to check....
AMMI JI.... AMMI JI... she called..
My MASALA CHAPATI is about to ready...

My pati.. my sasu maa... my sasur and my Sali
We all sit together..
My cooking smells good..
When MASALA CHAPATI is served....
They all smile and look at me...
WHAT?? IS THIS MASALA CHAPATI????
And we all dance on the kitchen floor....
To my family in India....
BJ  Oct 2022
Ek chand
BJ Oct 2022
Ek chand gumsum sa hai
Door desh rehta  hai.

Jab b puch lo kyu udas hai
Koi baat nahi kehta hai
Kya kho gya hai uska jo door desh me dhoondta hai
Sans is zami me hai
To vha ku ghumta hai.
Muje fark yun padta hai
Ku Maine is chand ko haste hasate dekha hai.
Ladte jhagadte roothte manate dekha hai.
Us chand Ka taqiya b uski ankho ki nami mehsus karta hai.
Bhai jan to hai par aapi ammi ki kami mehsus karta hai.

Vo vha aasman ki talash me gya hai
Apne sapno k jahan ki talash me gya hai.

Ab use is shehar ki chamak b raas ni aati
Kabhi bethkar sochta hai k is shehar kash na aati.

Maa ki panv ki jameen ko jannat hai janta hai.
Jo samne se jhagdta tha phone pe ammi Ka Sab kha manta hai.

Us chand Ka dil b toota hai kisi se keh ni paya
Sab kuch saha Akele
Bas Roye bina reh na paya

Ab Dard kam hai Bas kasak baki hai
Khalish baqi  hai jakhm pe thoda namak Baqi hai.

Or Hume intezar hai k vo chand Jane ab Kab hasega

Kab utha k tasveer zindagi ki usme rang bharega

Chudi bindi mehndi libaz Sab shaunk thode kam ** gye hai
Ye Sab dekh k hairan hum ** gye hai

** skta hai ye likha b use na pasand aye
** skta hai nazarandaz kare ya nazarband kar jaye

Hume yakin hai vo Khud k  Masle hal kar legi
Sabr or dua dono mile h use aj ni to kal kar legi

Dhal jayega jald vo saya jo chand pe aj betha hai.
Ek chand gumsum sa hai
Door desh rehta  hai.
Ek chand gumsum sa hai
Door desh rehta  hai.
#bj
Annie J  Dec 2012
Ammi
Annie J Dec 2012
Leaning against the wall,

voice hushed,

lips move with each prayer bead she lets go

- each bead strung together in unison

as she is with her Lord.

With Peace,

slightly swaying to the rhythm of

her words, her praises, and her prayers.

She is perfect in her solitude.
Atlas Rover Mar 2014
A low grumbling noise,
Awakens the poor child,
Afraid he clutches his rags,
Alone he whimpers softly,
Trying not to wake up his dad.
Abu wasn't nice, he smelled,
And Ammi called him d-r-u-n-k.
The growling grew near,
It haunted him every night.
It kept a distance,
Yet still made him shiver from fright.
Two bright suns, the eyes of a demon,
Race past him, parting the puddles,
S-p-l-a-s-h
No longer dry, he stares blankly into the dark,
Sobs and crawls back under the plastic sheet,
Crawls back into his home.
Next to his house,
Is a glitzy place.
He has seen the Gods visit the place.
Not the ones Ammi took him to meet,
But the ones who had bones and flesh.
At times they threw nibbled ambrosia at him,
He was too hungry to comprehend the word leftovers.
Yet on his final night there was no food,
There was no omen.
No comet marked the death of those forsaken by their stars.
Two eyes blinded him,
The rest broke his petite form.
A God steps out, leans over his broken form, spits,
And cleans the filth, his blood off the hood.
An elder man looms over his broken form,
His eyes displaying a nonchalant sadness.
The God turns to his slave,
"Bansilal, you were driving the car."
And then to perhaps, himself,
"****** beggars, don't they have anyplace else to live?"
Sk Abdul Aziz Dec 2015
Mainay kal apnay aapko dekha tha apni ammi ankhon may
Yeh aina mujhay boorha nahi batata
(The above language is a mixture of Urdu and Hindi.)

English Translation

I saw myself in my mother's eyes yesterday
And those mirrors don't say that i'm old
For a mother,her child will always be like a child...no matter how old they get.
Gulishta  Dec 2017
FOR MY MAA.
Gulishta Dec 2017
You made me by your flesh and blood.
You brought me to this world.
You bled for me,you went through immense pain for me.
You fed me the bite out of your mouth.
You dress me up in the fanciest gowns.
You are strict when you need to be.
You are gentle,.when I want you to be.
You are calm in between a chaos.
Your kiss can heal any wound.
Your touch is the best medicine.
Your hugs the warmest of the cocoons.
Your lap,the best bed I've ever slept on.
Your voice itself is my lullaby.
Your arms still the best home.
Your fussing over ,I won't exchange for the world.
You are my UNIVERSE.

You are my best friend. .
    When I need one.
You are my cheerleader. .
    When I have no one.
You are the difference. .
    Between good and bad.
You are the FACE OF THE GOD.

You are my partner in crime.
My bank where every dime is mine.
You are my first school.
You are everything that I wanna be.
You are the strength that no one can beat.
You work every minute of every week.
You stand up for me even when your knees went weak.

You are what every child should have.
You are what we took for granted.
You are the world itself..
You have so many names.
YOU ARE MY MOTHER,
MY AMMI......MY MUMMA.
    AND MY MAA.
Sara Nabeel  May 2020
Mother
Sara Nabeel May 2020
I’ve spent my entire life to discover
That I can’t find better friend another
Than my companion through thick & thin
Who else could be, Other than mother.

She knows me more than anyone does
Shows in the ways, she cares and loves.

She has always been there for me
Fears in my eyes, she can foresee
Her soothing words, a source of peace
Head In her lap helps tensions release

Whenever I go through despair or suffer
She doesn’t leave my side until I recover
She is my teacher, my reformer & guide
In her, I always comfortably confide

Dear Ammi

Thanks for teaching life skills,which include:
For countless blessings express gratitude
Trying to find Allah’s pleasure in solitude
This helps to keep faith strong & renewed
While dealing with others never be rude
And people’s privacy, never intrude

Teaching, Difficulties are a part of life
Stressing, Faith in Allah shall suffice
Can’t value enough, your suggestions wise
Indeed, Under your feet my paradise lies

May You live with health and peace
May Best for both your worlds decreed
Always Love and respect your mother
Like her, You’ll never find any other
Ain  Sep 2020
The Gift.......
Ain Sep 2020
.....and then it came.....unalarmed. ....sudden.....the slap on her face. ....

The argument had started the previous day.  The matter didn't even matter as it was so trivial. But the fight was big.
She first made her timid suggestions and then put them a bit firmly as she strongly believed in the plan....A plan they had both carefully plotted ......she cud not fathom the sudden change and he cud not fathom the disagreement. ....

Two years into the marriage. ...still primitive. ...still raw. ...still fresh. ...still. .........

She hadn't quiet recovered from the shock of what had just happened when the phone rang. ....one hand on the cheek she answered the phone with the other. ....

Mom it had to be. ....
"Happy birthday to you meri jaan...."
"Did you already get your birthday gift. ..???!!!"

"Thanks Ammi....Oh yes I did. ...and I am holding it with my other hand....."

— The End —