With the first kiss
you taught me all the alphabets
of love and affection.
With the first prayer
you taught me ways to shed ego and envy
to achieve the goal of humility and humanity.
With our first baby's birth
you showed me how to behave gently
and carry on with utmost tolerance in life's twists.
With your sudden departure from this world
you forced me to learn the tenets of a lonely and soulful journey
required in the serenity of life's pious columns.
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