The Momma Clan

How deadly is the cold breeze!
It blows to fill up the winter evening-
It feels so damp, biting, on my face-
And challenges anything that’s warm, that’s living thing.
What comes upon the earth each winter day, that
The cloudy afternoon is taken over by mist!
The silence of the dark night grows on the roads, as if
It is set to welcome a deadly cold beast, for a grand feast.

Behind the mist that flows all around,
The moonlight is hazy in the sky,
The lanterns in distant homes, and street lamps
Light up the roads as every night goes by, incident on the passers-by.
Rooms so cosy, with the warmth of the fireplace, and
Warmth of the hearts that love each other;
And to beat the biting cold outside, is, of course,
The heart-warming food, being cooked by my grandmother and mother.

– Dr. Shilpa Chakrabarti