#
amma
allaM nArAyaNa

poddutO pATu
paMTa polaMlO poDicEdi amma
cemaTa mutyAllOki jAri
kattilAMTi mA kaMDallOki iMkEdi
amma nuduTa siMdooraM puvvu
"ammA AkalE" anaDaM tappa
amma kaDupulO kAsina
erra TeMDanu paTTiMcu kunnadevvaDu?
moggalaku rekkalatikina amma
nalla nallani rEgaLLa nAgETi cAlayyiMdi
kaMTlO kAru ceekaTlu dAcukuni
vennela navvulni virisiMdi
pakshulni pilici mAku pATalni nErpiMdi
poga coorina pAta vaMTa gadi kAvala
mAkOsaM mA amma prapaMcaM kiTikee tericiMdi
prapaMcaM kiTikee guMDA
nEnu Avali gaTTuki dookESA
mA amma mAtraM
vaMTiMTi gaDapa meeda SilayyiMdi
pasupu kuMkumalu, tALiboTTu, kAli paTTeDa
pAtivratya dharmaM meeda poorveekulu rAsina pustakaM
sAkshee bhootAlugA
mA amma vaMTiMTi gaDapa meeda Siluva baDiMdi
#
from the anthology 'amma' 1997

A rendition in English

Mother
Allam Narayana
from the anthology 'amma' 1997

Along with the dawn
Amma used to be up in the fields.
(Her) sweat, a stream of pearls
Nurtured our muscles strong.
A red 'sindoora' flower on her forehead.
Except to cry "amma, I'm hungry",
Who amongst us cared about
The ruddy glare of the Sun in her belly?
Amma, who adorned the buds with petals (wings)
Became the path of the plough in the black earth.
She hid the blackest darkness in her eyes,
Yet bloomed with moon light smiles.
She called the birds to teach us songs.
Beyond the old sooty kitchen
She opened the world's window for us.
Through this world window
I jumped out onto the other side.
But my mother
froze as a rock on the kitchen entrance.
Turmeric, Sindoor, tali, and anklets*
And the book written by ancestors on the duties of a good wife,
With these as witnesses
Amma got herself crucified on the kitchen entrance.

Note 1: * all these are symbols of a married hindu woman
Mote 2: This telugu poem uses so many images and references unique to Telugu language that I found it extremely difficult to render in English. So, sorry for the shoddy job. I hope the English version gives at least a hint of the feeling in the original.