"My Mother at Sixty-six" is the ninth chapter of the Flamingo textbook for Class 12 English and the first poem in the poetry section. Written by Kamala Das, one of India's foremost poets in English, the poem is a deeply personal and moving meditation on ageing, loss, and the fear of death. It was written when the poet, driving to the airport with her sixty-six-year-old mother, was suddenly struck by the realisation of her mother's vulnerability and mortality.
The poem captures a single, ordinary moment — a car ride to Cochin airport — and transforms it into a powerful emotional experience. As the poet looks at her mother, she sees, for the first time with full clarity, the signs of age: her mother's pale, tired face, her shrunken frame, and her dozing, which reminds the poet of a decaying corpse. The imagery is haunting and deeply affecting, and the poem's power lies in its honesty about the pain of watching a loved one age.
Yet the poem is not merely sad. It is also a celebration of love, of the act of looking back, and of the courage to hold on to hope. The poet smiles at her mother, kisses her forehead, and the poem ends with the words "see you soon, Amma," words that carry both a promise and a fear. The poem explores the universal human experience of facing the ageing of our parents, and the guilt, love, and sorrow that accompany it.
Kamala Das (1934-2009), also known by her pen name Madhavikutty, was an Indian poet and writer who wrote in both English and Malayalam. She is regarded as one of the pioneers of confessional poetry in Indian English literature, known for her frank, honest, and emotionally charged verse about love, womanhood, identity, and loss. Her works include "Summer in Calcutta," "The Descendants," and her celebrated autobiography "My Story." Her poetry is marked by its directness, its deep sensitivity to human relationships, and its courage in expressing intimate emotions. "My Mother at Sixty-six" is one of her most widely studied poems, capturing her characteristic blend of personal emotion and universal insight.
The poem opens in a car on the way to Cochin airport. The poet is driving with her mother, who is sixty-six years old. As she drives, the poet glances at her mother sitting beside her. She notices that her mother is dozing, and the sight fills her with pain: her mother's face is ashen and pale like that of a corpse, and her frame has become shrunken and weak. The poet is struck by the realisation of her mother's mortality.
The poet then describes what she sees outside the window. The world is full of life and energy — young trees sprinting past, merry children spilling out of their homes. This vibrant imagery of youth and movement contrasts sharply with the image of her ageing, dozing mother. The contrast deepens the poet's pain: life rushes forward while her mother fades.
At the airport, the poet looks at her mother once more. The sight of her mother's face, "ashen like that of a corpse," brings back the same anguish. The poet feels a stab of pain — the familiar ache of love and fear. Yet she does not give in to despair. She smiles at her mother, and her mother smiles back. The poet then kisses her forehead, and as she drives away, she reassures both herself and her mother with the words, "see you soon, Amma." But the words carry an unspoken fear: will she see her mother again?
"Driving from my parent's / home to Cochin last Friday / morning, I saw my mother, / beside me, / doze, open mouthed, her face / ashen like that / of a corpse and realised with pain / that she looked as old as she was / and looked but soon / put that thought away / and looked out at Young / Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling / out of their homes."
The poem begins with the mundane detail of the car journey, establishing the setting. The image of the mother dozing "open mouthed" with an "ashen" face — ashen like a corpse — is startling and painful. The simile "ashen like that of a corpse" is the central image of the poem, symbolising the proximity of death. The poet's "realisation with pain" that her mother looks as old as she is marks the moment of painful truth. She quickly pushes the thought away and looks out at the "Young Trees sprinting" and "merry children" — symbols of life, vitality, and renewal that contrast with her mother's ageing. The contrast is a powerful device: youth rushing forward versus age fading away.
"but after the airport's / security check, standing a few / yards away, I looked again at her, wan, / pale as a late winter's moon / and felt that old / familiar ache, my childhood's fear, / but all I said was, see you soon, / Amma, all I did was smile and smile and / smile."
At the airport, the poet looks at her mother once more. The image is again one of pallor and frailty: "wan, pale as a late winter's moon." The simile of the "late winter's moon" suggests a dimming, fading light — the end of a cycle, the approach of an end. The poet feels the "old familiar ache, my childhood's fear" — the fear of losing her mother, a fear that has haunted her since childhood. This emotional line reveals the depth of the mother-daughter bond. Yet the poet suppresses her sorrow, saying only "see you soon, Amma," and she smiles and smiles and smiles. The repetition of "smile" conveys both the effort of hiding pain and the act of courage. The smile is a mask over grief.
The central theme of the poem is ageing and the fear of loss. The poet confronts the reality of her mother's mortality and the inevitable separation that death brings. A related theme is the pain of watching a loved one age: the poem's emotional power comes from the poet's honest acknowledgment of this pain.
The poem also explores the theme of the mother-daughter bond and filial love: the poet's love is expressed not in grand gestures but in the small acts of a smile, a kiss, and the promise "see you soon, Amma." The theme of the contrast between youth and age runs throughout, symbolised by the sprinting trees and merry children versus the dozing, pale mother. Finally, the poem touches on the theme of courage and the suppression of sorrow: the poet hides her pain behind a smile, showing the strength required to let go and the hope that colours even the fear of loss.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Poet | Kamala Das (Madhavikutty) |
| Setting | A car journey to Cochin airport, Friday morning |
| Mother's age | Sixty-six |
| Central image | Mother's ashen face like a corpse |
| Parting words | "see you soon, Amma" |
| Tone | Painful, tender, brave |
| Device | Example and Effect |
|---|---|
| Simile | "ashen like that of a corpse" - highlights mortality |
| Simile | "pale as a late winter's moon" - fading light and age |
| Contrast | Sprinting trees and merry children vs dozing mother |
| Repetition | "smile and smile and smile" - masking sorrow |
| Symbolism | Late winter's moon symbolises approaching end |
"My Mother at Sixty-six" is a brief but profoundly moving poem that captures the universal fear of losing a parent. Through a single ordinary journey, Kamala Das transforms a glance at her dozing mother into a meditation on mortality, ageing, and love. The haunting images of the ashen face and the pale winter moon bring the reality of her mother's fragility to the surface, while the vibrant contrast of sprinting trees and merry children reminds us that life rushes forward even as the ones we love fade.
Yet the poem's greatest power lies in its restraint. The poet does not weep; she smiles. She does not speak of her fear; she says "see you soon, Amma." In that smile lies both the depth of her love and the courage of her hope. The poem reminds us that the bonds between a mother and child are tender and fragile, and that we must cherish our parents while we still can, holding on to love even in the face of the inevitable.