Poetry 2019 Longlist, Rishika Thakur

MOTHER ALWAYS SAID

My mother always said to take every shot,
Who knew if l would get it again or not?
She always wanted me to give it my best,
To put in all my efforts, try hard at every test.

She always said that every moment is to cherish,
And then to never let that memory perish.
She believed that things should always be treasured,
As the joy that brings cannot be measured.

Mother always said to give people a second chance,
Who knows how much they might advance?
She always looked on the bright, sunnyside of things,
taught me to savour what each new day brings.

My mother always said to live each moment as the last,
It might make it an important detail of your past.
She believed that life only knocks at your door once,
And that it just passes swiftly and waits for none.

Mother always said that the most important is trust,
Alas! It shines in people at first and then turns to dust.
She wanted me to always remain safe and be free,
And to embrace every opportunity life threw at me!