When I discovered the place where I was born did not
accept me, I found freedom in the unknown world.
At the bottom of an empty well, hanging on a rope facing two frightened
and aggressive wild dogs, I found something unexpected: patience.
At the loss of a great and gentle friend, I found forgiveness
for the sorrow that was passed on to me.
Have you ever woken up afraid, but rose to seize the day?
Have you ever felt pure joy for more than a few minutes?
Have you ever dared to fight when you knew you weren't ready for it?
Have you learnt to feel the wins and the failures,
and welcome them as one and the same?
Have you ever felt a deeper awareness of the
self, beyond your immediate reality?
Have you ever felt eager for
the future, fond of the past, and
found them to weigh the same?
These poems are reflections of
these questions, through the
lens of an individual, Kalinga.
Since there is more that unites us
than divides us, these are all of
our stories, painted in rhyme and
sketch to communicate a sense
of inevitable common ground.
The world is changing, but
it always is. Remember that
your journey is yours, and you
can carve it as you see fit.