my mom

i think about my mother when i sneeze    when i touch my hair

when i think about regret

i think about whether she regrets me

i think about how my mother’s life was robbed by war

i think about how sensitive she is and how much it bothers me

i think about when i took her to my elementary school dance and how happy she was

and i think about when she asked me to come again and i said no

i think about how embarassed i was by her accent
 
how she didnt look or talk like other moms

i think about my mother when i laugh and i wonder if she is laughing too

i think about whether she hates her life

i think about if she thinks about suicide

i think about how i take on my mother’s grief as my own

i think about how helpless i feel

                   02.03.2024
asreen is a filmmaker and playwright residing in new york city