PinnedKitchenWhen I dream of a near and distant future, it’s the kitchen where I see us together. It’s not a room I think about much but I would when and if I am with you. It’s a room that relishes the magic of the tiny moments, crafted like a romance…Relationships1 min read
PinnedCan I Call this Poetry?gentle: Our mother always told us be gentle, especially with your tongue, there are crimes your tongue can commit that rival even a sharp object. It wasn’t until I saw a friend cry because of the words I had just uttered that I realised what she meant. Be gentle, she…National Poetry Month5 min read
Mar 3The Desk I Work FromThe desk I work from these days is not a bed, personal belongings scattered across the coloured sheets. It’s a desk that still holds the books and papers our grandfather last read and bookmarked and saved. There’s a row of framed photos on this desk added to this today —…Death2 min read
Nov 6, 2021Purple Moles on His SkinI saw purple moles for the first time as a child, the colour of grapes on dada’s brown skin (colour value #ae9171, I checked), and I have never since then seen or noticed purple moles on anyone else. Constellations of purple on an old man’s skin. It was a thing…Family2 min read
Oct 19, 2020Death is One Less Plate on the Dinner Tableheroic There is (and shouldn’t be) no such thing as being strong when you have lost someone you loved and lived with since the day you were born. Someone whose hands have fed you, wiped away your tears, have put you to sleep on feverish nights? It is the way…Family5 min read
May 25, 2020The Familiarities of Familytechnique: I have studied and taught history and haven’t yet found the records of the first family ever formed. They must have left something for us to learn from, etched in stone, leaf, or hide. There must be documentation of all the ways they lived and loved each other. A…Family5 min read
May 15, 2020Summers of the Past and FutureHere’s a summer, passing by, whispering you don’t need permission to daydream but here it is in my ears. Allow me to daydream of the summer mornings, clad in somewhat identical clothes, a pair of twins fought over a book. Of the orange popsicles they made, impatience leading to consuming…Personal Essay5 min read
Feb 24, 2020InheritanceA couple of years ago, perhaps seeing us typing with ferocity or looking at our growing shelf, our grandfather handed us a tattered Roget’s Pocket Thesaurus, an atlas, and a few pens and pencils. This was a time when my dreams of becoming a writer were growing. I was writing…4 min read
Jan 22, 2020Swimming LessonsGrowing up with two siblings — a twin and an older brother a couple of years older than us — was like being on a forever summer break. The games that were reserved for mornings never stopped, unless it was time to change into our school uniforms. Nor did the…Family5 min read
Dec 31, 2019On a SundayIt’s always a Sunday when I think of us. On a Sunday, I fell in love with you while you were eating a bowl of something I wouldn’t then attempt to try. On another Sunday, I discovered songs that were written for us. …Love2 min read
