this flat, a home
for six years
four bedrooms filled
with us five, and
countless guests, pilgrims
gratefully received
we recall the painful
waiting, it came slowly
to us from generous hands
then faith found us dancing
wildly in our safe haven
in a crazy city, strange
to us, a cathedral for
our hopes and prayers
with almost an acre of
polished marble for
sophia’s first steps, and
splitting her tender chin
for dania’s dance and her
dramatics, and for skateboards
and balls under alexis’ feet, better
acoustics for her silly songs of
worship and ours, blessed snacks
we called meals, rooms so sparse
soon filled up with finds from
markets, flowers planted, trees
we made it our own, parties and
petitions spilling onto the street
abundant smiles, crowds of kids
coming, going, the guard outside
won us over, the tears of a maid
who knocked first, we believed
we were called, and this flat
a gift, some friends will endure
the breach, so much will
end, leaving our hearts
heavy on the day we
pull the door closed
for the last time
**Dedicated to A-113 Ground Floor, New Friends Colony, New Delhi, 110 025, INDIA,
our home address from October 2005 to July 2011.
