I am from… Anish R.
I am from under the Ping-Pong table
from stashes of Trader Joe’s chocolate and Maggi
I am from a 2-story single family home
the burning incense
I am from the green belt
the apricot tree
whose branches
had no fruit that hung
I am from pizza Friday and yearly Sunnyvale trips
from Kajal and Anirban
I am from cheesy puns and mind bending riddles
and from daal chawl
I am from “Maybe later.” and “Are we there yet?”
and Listen to The River
I’m from California and India
but Chinese and Italian food
from Kali Das, the man who hurts himself
the billboards of mementos
pinned against the gallery walls
and hidden posters stashed in my closet
kept captive for myself