A humming word

Our shame-shame parts had not yet developed So we bathed together My cousin brothers and me Every Sunday, right before Jungle Book  So that we are dressed to watch  Mowgli with his playmates Each of us had a swinging milk tooth And we wanted to get rid of it, oh so badly! The tap and bucket in my grandma’s home Were sturdy –  We hit our teeth to it Till our milk teeth fell off And we laughed, toothless Then we washed ourselves To watch Mowgli in his Chaddi

Mother is mum, mostly She speaks softly, smiles like a smitten cat She doesn’t say ‘I love you’ Some nights, she knits A finger sleeve Some evenings, she bakes Her thirty third attempt Some mornings, she crafts A bookmark She gifts and slips away To bake, knit, and craft some more