Till I See You Again, Mom

The day you left, a part of me broke,
Not loudly—but quietly, like a soft whisper of goodbye.
The world kept moving,
But mine stood still.

You were the one who saw through my silence,
Who forgave me before I said sorry,
Who called me just to hear my voice,
Who worried about my cough like it was the end of the world.

Now there’s no one to say, “Take care, it’s cold outside,”
No one to check if I ate,
No one to love me more than herself—
Only you did that, Amma.

Every birthday will feel a little empty,
Every joy will carry a shadow,
Because I will still turn around to tell you first,
But your chair will remain empty.

People say time heals.
Maybe it does.
But no time will take away this ache,
This space only your love could fill.

I miss you in the mornings, in the silence of the night,
I miss your scoldings, your laughter, your smell.
Even my worst days felt safe when you were around—
Now I face them alone.

You were my shelter, my root, my truth.
I may smile again, I may laugh,
But a part of me will always be waiting,
Till I see you again, in Heaven.

– Melwyn Williams