(Translations of Urdu words used in the poem: Surah, a chapter of the Quran chappal, sandal kurta, a loose shirt-like garment ghazal, a form of poetry, often sung by Pakistani musicians and poets among other cultures.) Other times, his speech and behavior reflected his fragmented memory, confusion, and fragility. Sometimes, he would veer into the nostalgia of his life in Karachi, Pakistan, where he is from, which I reflect through integrating Urdu words and specific imagery. This motion also mirrors his neurological symptoms of dementia. In the poem, I used abrupt gaps and choppy spaces between and within lines to convey the disconnected sway of our walks-him, veering to one end, and I, pulling him back. My grandfather has dementia and vertigo and would frequently teeter on either side of the path, losing his balance.
This poem was written after my summertime walks with my 82-year-old grandfather in the path outside of his apartment in Toronto.
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