Category: Poetry and Literary
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My tongue returns home to Urdu.
Which languages do you speak and how did that impact your life? Urdu is my mother tongue. It’s the language my ancestors spoke. Words in Urdu land in the different part of the brain. The part where English doesn’t quite reach. English is the language I speak when I want to impress someone. Or when I’m…
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Grief for breakfast, lunch and dinner
For several years, my family ate grief for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We didn’t like it but that’s all we had. My father was 23 when he got married. He hates that number now. My grandmother pretended to accept my mom. Years later, she kicked them out of the house. My dad was the disgraceful…
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The bedside table keeps receipts.
I believe your bedside table has seen the parts of you that you expertly hide. Everybody has a bedside table. I don’t care if it’s made in Ikea or something you bought at a flea market and decided to give it a chance. I mean I totally get it, furniture is expensive. If you truly…
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How to disappear properly
1. Wake up on the first alarm2. Pray Fajr3. Ask God if he has forgiven me4. Make prayers for my children 5. Cook breakfast6. Wake up husband 7. Swallow the lump in my throat8. Wake up kids, for school9. Send them school10. Sit in silence11. Ask God if He’s with me12. Pray Zuhr13. Cook lunch…
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Serves everyone but you
Ingredients:A painful past500g chicken (bone-in preferred for flavour)A dysfunctional family1.5 cups boiled chickpeas1 large onionAngry and unloving husband2 tomatoes553 lost opportunities 1 tbsp ginger garlic pasteRegrets (as much as you can get)3–4 tbsp oil Spices:1 tsp salt (take some from your wounds)1 tsp red chili powder5 envious siblings½ tsp turmeric (it provides color. Can you…