A new poem

TIFKIRA TA’ OMM

(16/03/2011)

Tard filgħaxija meta jisktu l-ħsejjes

u tistrieħ il-ħajja għaġġelija

nagħlaq għajnejja għal xi waqtiet

u nħossni ninqata’ mill-art

intir ħafif ’il fuq ’il fuq

u nerġa’ nistħajlek tiftaħli l-bieb ta’ tfuliti

mill-ġdid

tilqagħni b’dirgħajk miftuħa u bi tbissima li

sserraħ minn kull inkwiet

tmexxini sal-qalba tad-dar...

u għalkemm naf li dan seħħ bosta snin ilu

u li inti issa ’l bogħod xhur u xhur twal

inħossni għal darb’oħra qribek

u nibki bil-ferħ, biki liberatorju,

inħoss f’dis-siegħa solitarja d-dmugħ

jiżżerżaq ma’ sisien ħaddejja

u leħen minn ġewwa jitolbok

biex tibqa’ dejjem ħdejja

fid-dawl u fid-dlam, fis-sħana u fil-ksieħ,

int li kont, għadek u tibqa’

OMMI, għażiża ommi.

Inħobbok, inħobbok daqs il-vojt

ħondoq bla qiegħ

ta’ ġo fija u li minnek firidni u seraqli

kull mistrieħ.

REMEMBERING MOTHER

Translated from Maltese into English by Alfred Palma

Late evening when all noise is still and silent

and hectic life seeks out its own repose

I close my eyes for a few moments

and feel myself a-rising from the ground

and fleetingly go up and further upwards,

and see you once again upon the doorstep

of my own childhood days,

and once again you greet me on

with open arms and that endearing smile

that eases all unrest, and guide me on

right to the very heart of what was home…

and though I know this has been years behind me,

and you have been away for months on end,

once more I feel you here and I am near you

and weep with joy, hot liberating tears,

and feel in this lone hour more teardrops falling

sliding in silence down my pallid cheeks,

an inner voice inside me soars and begs you

to stay forever here, forever near,

in light of day, in dark of night,

in warmth or coldish times,

you, who just were, still are, and will forever be

my own, my mother dear,

you whom I love, as much as the void chasm,

nay one bottomless pit,

which has lain here, inside me,

has kept me far from you

and stole from me each vestige of repose.