As I post this, I am thinking of the people deprived of the chance to grieve their loved ones properly. The ones who have to grieve while being uncertain about whether their loved ones are alive and displaced, burried under the rubble, or amongst those thrown into mass graves. My heart aches as we witness the immense loss of life at the hands of evil occupiers and as we watch people be treated with not an ounce of humanity even after their passing. People are not just numbers but for them to be dehumanized to the point where they are not even counted for in death tolls is an unimagineable reality we are watching unfold.

I wrote this while I was visiting India for the first time since my nani passed away. My mind would not allow for me to believe she was actually gone, I caught myself waiting for her to walk in the door.

all that is left of your existence

in a house that was once deluged

with your warmth and love 

is now merely just a photograph

with a garland around it

– loss of a loved one