The Day I made it to Harvard
The letter said I was in.
Ma in the small dark room.
A cup of tea. She sipped slowly, seriously.
I walked down the grim stairs, took the bus
To the ticket counter, ten miles on.
One ticket, I said, paying the bill
Watching fish being sold
On the road, the stink of goodbyes.
The bridge connecting past and future.
Where was I going?
Would things change from here?
Should I get a return ticket?
Ma asked about the patch of land we had.
Would we need it for the bank loan?
Was just to be away enough?
Author’s Bio
Amlanjyoti Goswami’s new book of poetry is Vital Signs (Poetrywala). His earlier collection River Wedding (Poetrywala) was widely reviewed. His poems have been published in journals and anthologies around the world including Poetry, The Poetry Review, Penguin Vintage, Sahitya Akademi and Rattle. A Best of the Net and Pushcart nominee, his poems have also appeared on street walls in Christchurch, exhibitions in Johannesburg, an e-gallery in Brighton and buses in Philadelphia. He has reviewed poetry for Modern Poetry in Translation and has read in various places, including New York, Delhi and Boston. He grew up in Guwahati and lives in Delhi.
