I am from.....

I am from the silver ornament on my door.

From blue cleaning products and billions of teacups.

I am from the dull on the outside and colorful on the inside apartment

with a feeling of comfort and safety.

I am from the waterfall in my kitchen.

The roses in my balcony

whose long gone limbs I remember

as if they were my own.

I’m from fasting on holidays and curly black hair

I’m from sleeping late and procrastinating

and from watching horror movies late at night.

I’m from honesty is the best policy

and if you sleep late you will grow old the next morning

and the Teletubbies.

I’m from celebrating Diwali every year.

I’m from New York and Bombay

spices and cottage cheese.

From being thrown into a pool to learn how to swim

and from a thief stealing my baby bottle.

Pictures of my grandmother as a baby to pictures of my sister as a baby

stacked on big brown shelves.