What is your heart full of ?
Writing
Niyoshi Parekh
quick–
find the nearest person i love around you
and give them a hug
a person i love is easy to spot
they look like summer
and the moment you see them
you will want the best for them
for the rest of their life
they may look lost:
most of my loved ones are
but they’ll keep looking
fascinated by things around them
moss, clouds, pigeons, plants
they might be petting a dog
or cajoling a cat
they will be wearing one or more of the following:
a printed shirt
a funky earring
sharp eyeliner
a smirk
be prepared:
when you approach them
they will be startled
you see,
most people i love
are shy, and kinda awkward
like me​
Flower, K. K. Hebbar, 1989, India, Oil on canvas, ,Image: H. 29 cm, W. 29 cm; Frame: H. 40 cm, W. 40 cm, MAC.01154
they will warm up
and when they do
give them a hug!
by then, you will want to
but if you’re hearing this
most likely
the nearest person i love to you is you
in that case, hug yourself!
or wait till i do
Concept Note
The question that led to this poem was: What is your heart full of today?
I have lived and studied in many cities, so my sense of family has always been confusing. There is no one place I am rooted to because even though my parents and my childhood are in Mumbai, I have found a family in every city I have lived in after moving away for college and work. The issue with families found in college is that they rarely stay together, so my friends and I are all used to not having those we hold close physically around us. It is difficult to feel a sense of community when your community is not physically rooted, and is instead only rooted in one another.
On the other hand, friends and family in Mumbai have the misfortune of being in Mumbai, because while they are constants in a place that feels more like home every time I return to it, I am actively seeking out the multiple versions of myself that can exist in the homes of families I have found elsewhere. Even though they are rooted in place, I am not. I am rooted in places, but also in people.
A friend once said about me venturing out of my own world into the unknown: “you must choose to be content with the funny rocks you pick up along the way”.
This poem is a letter to all my funny rocks, reminding them to love themselves and each other, because I love them.
Artist Bio
Niyoshi is an urban practitioner. She has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Architecture, and will soon be working in Delhi on low carbon, thermally resilient affordable housing. She is passionate about housing policy research and rights-based advocacy.
She may be from Mumbai, but her heart also belongs to her friends in Bangalore and Delhi. She's currently crocheting fidget toys, watching movies and sleeping in a lot. She writes poetry on everyday things and thoughts.