the
glassy
blue ocean
cuts curves into
our coast like a
shard of broken bangle
this is our silver
sand so soft you
see your steps
and those of
who came
before and before
and the language —
the language!
a cadence shaped and
reshaped by a
thousand tongues
this is our gold
here we
peel back our
skin and reveal
the hearts of our
ancestors still
beating here
our land shines
like an unhewn
jewel is
it any
wonder
they lusted after it?
Jyotsna Nair lives in Boston. In her free time, she enjoys visiting cafes and old bookstores. She is a firm believer in the power of banana bread.