Mother, I Belong To You. Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

Mother, wear the dress I gave you
remember it belongs to me,
let my fragrance touch your skin
let my warmth speak a language
which you spoke to me in my infancy.
And though I was your little child
I understood all what you whispered
in those little ears of mine
when in your arms you held me
and kissed me several times!
O mother, how many times did you not wake up
to feed me, when during those nights I cried?
And every time you held me closely
I knew it was you, even though
I was so fast asleep;
your fragrance, your warmth so familiar
it passed like waves through me;
your concern, your gentleness
can I ever return it to you in full?
as those days of babyhood
belong to mother and child alone.
None can value or measure
your dedication to me except myself,
so wear the dress I gave you
to feel my warmth and fragrance
while on this earth you breathe;
tomorrows will set us apart
but distance will never divide us
as every day I will call out to you
just as you would call out to me
and find solace in calling out my name.
And though a mother I am myself, today
I still know I belong to you
as I was your child yesterday and will be yours
until my last cry as I leave this world.