I remember being in 6th standard when poetry happened to me. It was during a random day at school when in between a lecture vice-principal walked in and made an announcement that an inter school poetry competition was happening in the city and she wanted our school to make some amazing submissions.
All of the lectures were paused and each and every child was asked to give a shot to it. It could be on anything- any topic, theme, genre.
I shuffled through the pages of my notebook and tore out a middle page.
I sat there, tapping the pen on my forehead- pretending to be a poet who’s too lost in her thoughts.
I thought of everything I knew, but for a kid, it was almost impossible to land up on an intellectual topic. I could hardly write an essay on my own self back then.
Of all that and all those I had known, I had known my mom the most of my life. As a child we spend the most of our time with our mothers and hence I decided to write a poem on her.
It took me just around five to seven minutes to write it. Once I was done, I gave it a read and was astonished with how good of a poem I had written.
I let in so much self appreciation in that moment that I just folded the page, kept it inside a notebook and hid it in my bag.
When the teacher came to collect the poems, I with an innocent expression told her that I wasn’t able to write anything.
I wrote my first ever poem for my mumma and I wanted her to be the first one to read it.
I was so excited to go back home that day. As soon I stepped down my school bus, I literally ran towards my home, hurriedly kept my school bag in my room and took the notebook, which hid that paper, out and handed it over to my mom.
As soon as she read it, she asked me the whole story of how I was led to writing a poem. As much as she was happy to read it, she said that I should have submitted it and copied it on a notebook and brought it for her. But this kid’s presence of mind hadn’t acted that well.
My mom just hugged me and went speechless on what I did. Later at night she showed it to papa and though I don’t remember the exact reactions of them now, I do remember the happy vibe that day was full of.
I am glad that my first ever poem happened to me like this and elated that my mom was my first muse. I am thankful to that competition and even more grateful to my mother for having so much impact on my life that when I really had to think about something, my heart chose to think about her.