It was a warm day after porridge.

The chair was fragile, like you,

but strong enough to hold you up.

The breeze was gentle

as the sun danced,

and a drop of sweat slid down my back.

With a red bucket, I wet your hair,

then ran my fingers through the whiteness of your crown.

Gently smiling, you looked at me.

I wish I knew all you saw in me.

Then I poured shampoo onto your hair,

avoiding your eyes; they are blue like hydrangea.

Eyes that reveal years of wisdom, memories,

and untold stories that one day

will become whispers living within four walls.

As I brushed your hair, parting it to the side,

you closed your oceanic eyes.

I embraced the moment,

the tenderness of the old and the new,

a core memory born from joy,

the ancestral love shared

through the silence of our aura’s hues.

It took ten to fifteen minutes to wash your hair,

yet time lost its meaning as my mind rushed

to capture the essence of your beauty—

the warmth of your skin against mine,

the sweetness in your voice

as it lingered in the cave of my ears. 

My dearest Mamá Ramona, my only one left,

I will always cherish the day I washed your hair;

Under the city sun, on the patio of our humble home,

every moment with you is engraved within my soul,

forever alive till the end of times.

I promise to keep your legacy alive.

Dhayana is a Dominican poet, storyteller, essayist, and writing mentor from Santo  Domingo, Dominican Republic. Her literary work scours inner growth, devotion,  culture, and spiritual healing. The Dominican Writers Association, Al Día Newspaper, the  Kindness Book by UNESCO MGIEP, Penguin India Publishing, and many others have published her. In 2021, Dhayana published her first collection of variant prose and poetry, Agridulce, highlighting the importance of acknowledging our emotions and experiences as a path to self-awareness and discovery.