The kind of pain and ache that the poet feels is an emotional pain rooted in the realization of her mother's aging and approaching death. The poet notices her mother's pale, frail, and corpse-like face, which triggers fear, sadness, and nostalgia about losing her mother. This pain is similar to a childhood fear of separation and loss, reflecting a deep longing, helplessness, and internal emotional turmoil rather than physical pain. The poet feels sympathy, helplessness, and an aching sorrow as she contemplates the inevitable separation and the fragile state of her mother’s life.
