Inside the mind of an immigrant
"I had Hindu friends." My Nano (grandma) who has Alzheimer’s says, wiping away a tear that rolls down her cheek. She looks at me and smiles. "A few of them we're Sikh and Christian too, and we would sit on the roof, on wooden cots and talk until the sun sunk behind the horizon, or … Continue reading The snake and Nano’s Alzheimer’s
I'm sitting on the wooden benches, in Astoria Blvd, waiting for the Manhattan-bound N train. It’s so cold outside that vapor comes out of my mouth every time I take a breath. The tips of my fingers are frozen, and I blow into them every five minutes to keep them warm. It's snowing and raining … Continue reading Comfort of a ghost
You tell me the world is vicious daddy because you've looked it in the eyebut it's my turn nowso won't you let me fly. You tell me there are storms out there that I won't be able to bearbut you've molded me with your own hands then why do you have this fear? How long … Continue reading Words I won’t ever say to my dad
Because I am trying so hard to understand why I am the way I am but I promise if I could be someone else I wouldn’t think twice if it were that easy then, like a coat I would wear someone else’s skin but sometimes, I wonder beneath these layers of all those things I … Continue reading Imperfections
When I was young, and we lived in Pakistan, Mama would have to drive us everywhere because my dad was living here in the US. Women driving in Pakistan isn't common, especially not in the villages. Mama would wrap her head and bury her face beneath a scarf whenever she drove to our village. People … Continue reading Understanding circumstances
