that which made me what I am now

This long piece is one of the poems written (and edited) by a participant in our project in Oldham which ties reminiscence to everyday objects, for the project Making Memories. This particular poem is paired with a tavitho, which is rather like a fish slice and is used for frying. The poem is centred around a favourite arthur+martha subject: food and the eating thereof. 

that which made me what I am now

born Mombasa, then

trouble in Kenya, father concerned

six years old went back to India

studied in India 'til 21, BA in English and Sanskrit

dad thought “Daughters should stand on their feet.”

proud, self-confident

can-do

that which made me what I am now

but before that

when I was eight, older sister teaching:

“This is how you make chappati,

you roll it and you roast it, easy.”

We rolled all mis-shapes, couldn't show it to sister:

“We can't show this chappati!”

So we put ghee on and ate it

- did five or six like this, dipped in ghee.

Ate our mistakes, delicious!

By the time I was ten, could make perfect chappatis

made chappatis everyday, all my life

with my eyes closed

but my BA is English and Sanskrit.

For pudding, puranpurri

a little chappati stuffed with sweet lentils

lentils in sugar and lots of ghee, I love it

I cook the best

very old, old, old-

fashioned food, passed from memory

and fill it with

(you know, puran means stuffing?)

lentils, sugar, cardamon, little bit saffron

a little ball of ghee – ah, puranpurri

–  taste and memory

of long ago times, farm people working hard

sweat out the ghee

work the fields and house, hard hands

milk cows, churn yoghurt, sweeping hard

round tava pan for the chappati

to flip it, a slice we call tavitho

until

Father saying, “We are going to England.”

Excitement, disappointment

of leaving friends, families

sadness to say goodbye

to say goodbye

people give you a feast

family and friend, sweet dish, savoury

the feast at one house, at many

“Maybe this is the last feast we are having together.”

Puranpurri pudding

that which made me

a little chapatti stuffed with

memory

I love it.

Surajata Agravat

October 2013

Hindu Temple, Oldham