journal entry #april'24
a list of the plants and related elements that shaped my being: mulberry trees after reading Mulberry and Silk, so that i wouldn't be ignorant in case i talk with a botanist- Palestinian date palms that take years to grow and minutes to be uprooted by tanks- olives- the bougainvillea tree that stood behind my friend and me at Daryaganj- pressed leaves and petals in my journals- the potted plant Gauri entrusted me to care for while she was in Calicut- the date seeds my grandmother collected to make tasbeeh - the curry shoot in the cantonment- dried henna leaves my grandmother brought in a folded piece of paper, just because they were grown on Medinan soil- the aloe vera plant on my balcony that helps with my acne- the large tree limb that fell on our patio when rain teemed down in Varanasi- tea leaves- kasoori methi- the vines my parents decorated our Lucknow balcony with- the dried flowers in my pen stand- the fake white roses in our guest room-
