Where I’m From #37

By Nisha Mody

Inspired by George Ella Lyon

I am from hair oil,
from Amla and coconut.
I am from the carpet beneath my mom’s bed where I sat as my mom applied it on my hair.
(oatmeal colored, burbur, unforgiving)
I am from the bouganvillea
magenta, my mom’s dream flower,
also known as the paper flower which I just learned is edible.

I'm from snacky dinners and anxiety,
from Nalini and Himat.
I'm from the criticisms
and act like nothing happened,
from You don’t listen! and No!
I'm from Jai Shree Krishna
which you better say before you hang up the phone.

I'm from Arlington Heights and the Mody’s and Sheth’s,
tomato gantya nu shak and cha.
From the drive home from

Devon Street aka Little India in Chicago

where my mom got excited seeing a sign

at a produce market advertising lychees

on sale for 1.49 so when we went in

searching and searching, only for me to

realize that the sign said “leche”

and we were in a Mexican

produce market.

Where to find Nisha:

Website: https://www.nishaland.com/

Where to find Alyson:

Website: https://www.alysonshelton.com

Substack: https://whereimfrom.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byalysonshelton/