Toxic Relatives

Relatives,
they make my blood boil,
make me hurl expletives.

There are these folks
who can't get a decent degree,
job, marry, or raise a kid
without the generous support
of their parents.

The parents' money, decisions,
and constant presence
make the above things possible.

I did all the above things
by my merit, judgment,
and lots of resilience.
Super-proud.

But the audacity of them
doesn't end there.

When people have no lofty purpose,
they feel small and gossip.

I had gone to India
after many years,
and Father passed away.

My mother was in deep emotional pain,
but she is among those people
who don't feign trauma
and don't sit numb
in one corner.

She keeps busy
to not let negative thoughts,
memories, haunt her.

So, she helped a few times
in bathing my kids
or cleaning the milk bottles,
as I stayed two weeks with her.

Relatives talked,
"Seema relaxed.
Her mother had to do the chores."

My kind mother,
who loves me above all,
defended, "That's her right!
She is visiting after years,
with two little kids.
It's my privilege to care for the kids,
for whom I did nothing."

Anyway, for these loose talks,
the relatives will be stung by karma
one day,
like many have been before them,
for hurting
people of clean conscience.

Share your view.
Have you been stung by relatives?