15 Dec I Am From by Namita Acharya
I am from O-Cel-O sponges,
from Lemon Pledge and Lipton’s Green Label tea.
From quick anger, doormat women
Hot and cold, like summer rain on hot asphalt.
I am from The Pines
Tall, terpen-pungent, and constant
I’m from afternoon tea and laughing with heads thrown
back, from Manshankar and Vasanti.
I’m from hospitable and ever-anxious
from family is everything
and education is our purpose.
I’m from Shiva Lingam and Ramayan
I’m from Saurashtra where the desert meets the Arabian
Sea Ladoo, hot rotis
From the barrister who rebuilt Somnath temple
And the inventor who built another temple in a foreign land
On the bookshelves in the wood paneled den
Smelling of mothballs and old leather suitcases
Faces that look like me glance back from faded black and white photos
and ask “What will you add to our legacy?”
from Lemon Pledge and Lipton’s Green Label tea.
From quick anger, doormat women
Hot and cold, like summer rain on hot asphalt.
I am from The Pines
Tall, terpen-pungent, and constant
I’m from afternoon tea and laughing with heads thrown
back, from Manshankar and Vasanti.
I’m from hospitable and ever-anxious
from family is everything
and education is our purpose.
I’m from Shiva Lingam and Ramayan
I’m from Saurashtra where the desert meets the Arabian
Sea Ladoo, hot rotis
From the barrister who rebuilt Somnath temple
And the inventor who built another temple in a foreign land
On the bookshelves in the wood paneled den
Smelling of mothballs and old leather suitcases
Faces that look like me glance back from faded black and white photos
and ask “What will you add to our legacy?”
About the Poet
Namita Acharya is a WNY native who writes poetry and short stories. She graduated from the University at Buffalo with a B.A. in English Literature and Political Science. She lives in Williamsville with her teenage son and a large collection of books and Lego sets in various stages of completion.
This poem is one of many responses to Just Buffalo Literary Center’s call for work inspired by the National Endowment for the Arts The Big Read Program’s “Where We Live” writing prompt.
The Poem of the Week feature is curated by literary legacy awardee R.D. Pohl.