This poem is dedicated to my mother, who endured life’s hardships yet met every challenge with unwavering courage. It is written for all mothers around the world who continue to push forward for the sake of their loved ones: courage lives in each of them.

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Mother by Nisa

Mother, you are the shape of home—
the scent of deep‑fried sweets drifting through warm rooms,
the first slice of the season’s mango,
your crimson dupatta dancing in the wind
while my small hands cling to your kameez.

My hair, heavy with Yasmin oil,
falls through your fingers—
fingers aging softly,
moving like a quiet river
through light brown strands
as you laugh with your sister,
your joy ringing through the house like a familiar prayer.

Amie 
The clouds gather into black rungs,
and the rain refuses to stop.
Sadness settles into every corner of our home,
a guest we never invited
yet learned to live beside.

Still— there is a light.
It rises from your face,
a sweetness so powerful
it brushes my cheeks
like the first rays of morning sun.

What name could ever hold you?
Mother,
Amie,
Noor,
my soul.

You are the ancestral home
my spirit has been searching for
all this time.
And when I leave, when your hand slips from mine,

I know this truth:
I can reach inward—
to the bright crimson diamond
carved into my spirit,
shimmering with your light,
your memories,
your teachings.

I carry you with me
as I walk toward the world,
and somehow,
still,
toward home.