My
Mother
I
long for my mother’s bread
My mother’s coffee
Her
touch
Childhood
memories grow up in me
Day
after day
I
must be worth my life
At the hour of my death
Worth the tears of my mother
Worth the tears of my mother
And
if i come back one day
Take me as a veil to your eyelashes
Cover
my bones with the grass
Blessed by your footsteps
Bind
us together
With
a lock of your hair
With
a thread that trails from the back of your dress
I
might become immortal
Become a god
Become a god
If i
touch the depths of your heart
If i come back
Use
me as wood to feed your fire
As
the clothesline on the roof of your house
Without
your blessing
I am
too weak to stand
I am old
I am old
Give
me back the star maps of childhood
So
that i along
with the swallows
Can
chart the path
Back to your waiting nest
MAHMOUD DARWISH