Uprooted and made homeless,
With only a handful of belongings during India’s partition
Journeying to the other side of the border
The invaluable possession one took was the mother tongue.
Sarhad Paar, Hamesha Mere Naal
Across the oceans to pastures new,
This land is strange and alien
My enthusiasm overflows within
Whenever I meet souls from my soil
As we enjoy a chat and share banter
Samundaro Paar, Hamesha Mere Naal
As time goes on,
Settling in this land and embracing it as my home
It has been challenging and difficult at times
Wondering why am I destined on this path
My mother tongue is mine for eternity
This gives me comfort and brings me peace
Maa Boli, Hamesha Mere Naal
It is heartbreaking and saddens me to see,
The mother tongue slowly dwindling away
Nurture and encourage preserving it
This is an inheritance from our ancestor’s
Let’s take responsibility and pass this on for future
generations.
Sambaal Ke Rakho Apni Maa Boli
‘Mother Tongue’. Recognised as a Poem of Merit at the Leicester Women’s Poetry Competition 2021.
The theme of this year’s competition was ‘Celebration of Black Female Voices’. This is an annual poetry competition held in honour of Black History Month celebrated in the month of October in the UK
