a one way ticket to a homeland that will never be home

by prasanna   Jun 17, 2020


of the lands that you and I know –
we know intimately, that this land
was never much of a home for us.
it housed us – yes, we’re rooted in
it since birth but still our souls
know that, we’re clippings of a
flame lily that managed to take
in a cold environment. my heart
knows this, but my tongue still
stutters, trips over itself when
it comes times to speak my
mother’s tongue. and i've
acclimated to the cold now,
would the lands that once
housed my mother even
be suitable for me now?

trapped between two soils,
the heart is in flummox;
sometimes the world feels
like a great wilderness,
and the soul desperately
seeks refuge in a safe
cavern.

other times,
i'm a plant on the cusp
of maturing and will
flower soon from
pooled blood of the
countless dead,
donning tigers’ teeth
as thorns.

inspired by star's poem "homeland" (go read it if you haven't!)
https://www.poems-and-quotes.com/poems/1276169

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Latest Comments

  • 3 years ago

    by Star

    When I read the title I knew this had something to do with my poem, that was actually inspired by one of yours in the first place.
    I can see where the inspiration came from, but this poem here is far more personal. I wont say this was inspired by my poem though, I think this had been something in your mind for a while.

    The first part/verse of the poem was the seed. The way you grew where you are from a seed of a different origin place, yet was planted somewhere far from there in complete different environment (society). Your word usage is really powerful. In a country that never felt like home, you found a place to fit in. You know your spirit belongs somewhere else, but you are afraid that you wont blossom in your original environment.

    I love the use of flowers in poetry, and how it gives depth to a poem. The use of flame lily clippings is so clever!! Here you did not use the flower as a symbol, you used it for its origin. In my opinion this is very original.

    The second and third verses contradict each other, one that shows how you become afraid sometimes and seek refuge somewhere in between the country you grew up in and your homeland. And the other how being lost made you strong, in the middle of the chaos you came out of your seed and now are standing strong. I like the use of tiger teeth as thorns, it's like it shows how brave you became.

    Although in the final stanza you stated that sometime you feel you are maturing showing that other times you dont feel that way, I think second and third verses show how thoughtful and mature you became.

    The more you post lately, I feel like we are understanding why you use your profile name "hiraeth".
    This is one of your best writes!!

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