move
/mo͞ov/
to go in a specified direction change position
empty
by Kashiana Singh
are we not all in exile—
learning to exit doors
Many times, have we moved
waving—
goodbye to people at doorways
from the back of a car to friends, dogs
forlorn, following us as they tripped along
maybe just because days were so lazy then
people stood and waved at their front doors
we moved, were removed from doors
entered new doors, watched shut doors
we tiptoed around each other, as we packed
gathered our chaos, contexts
that had
settled and scattered around us
Stay with me—
as I move through doors
and into doors
of my childhood years
Years of saved amends left at the front door
in attics, almirahs—locked boxes
some zippered bags, tightly sealed
layered with desiccant packets
Years of mom opening the front door
sores hidden within brick and mortar
strewn into the chipped
mosaic of a front veranda
Years of repair being brought into the door
the freshly painted archway
being embossed into its walls
calligraphed under its roof
Years of puzzles in books hauled through the door
an alchemy of dust and smells
scattered in every new room
bookmarking each argument
Stay with me, as this is not
a poem about leaving a home
about departure from doors
this is just a song about
taking every home along
Stay with me
as I ask again
are we not all in exile—
learning to exit doors
looking endlessly
looking endlessly
for doors that open
for we have been told
that when one door closes
another opens, there is always
a door to keep us safe, however
wherever we may sleep for the night
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This poem takes the door theme and speaks about doors as representative of moving and accepting change as a constant. What one can do best is to adopt the role of a pilgrim and consider every home a temporary halt, every door a temporary entrance and thus the journey becomes easier. It even becomes more engaging because now “I” is a curious participant but not the controller of every door that is encountered through this journey.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kashiana Singh is a management professional by job classification and a work practitioner by personal preference. Kashiana’s TEDx talk was dedicated to Work as Worship. Her poetry collection, Shelling Peanuts and Stringing Words, presents her voice as a participant and an observer. Her poems have been published on various platforms including Poets Reading the News, Visual Verse, Oddball Magazine, Café Dissensus, TurnPike Magazine, Dissident Voice, Feminine Collective, Spillwords, Poetry Super Highway. You can listen to her reciting her work on Rattle Open Mic sessions, Songs of Selah podcast, and Poetry Super Highway episodes. Visit her on Twitter and Facebook.
I love how you talk to the reader with, “Stay with me . . .” Beautiful poem, and so true.
thank you for reading and appreciating the narrative of the poem – I am glad it spoke to you Mary:)
What a thought-provoking poem
We are constantly on the move
As migrants we go from place to place but adopt to every new place & again move
In fact all the mortals are moving from one life to another
Is not transmigration itself a Move ?
Very well written poem
I am proud of my daughter Kashiana
C pal singh
Reblogged this on kashiana and commented:
this one is so special – both the theme, the lovely door series and the time makes it so
How beautiful, and so evocative. Love this:
“Years of saved amends left at the front door
in attics, almirahs—locked boxes
some zippered bags, tightly sealed
layered with desiccant packets“
Thank you for sharing.
What a lovely present for my birthday. Thank you so much! ❤ To happy doors.