Aditi Mishra Poet Free verse

An Ode To Those Cities

A dear friend asked me the other day
"Which is the city you call your own?"
I wanted to give a precise answer
But couldn't find out which one

Is it the city where I was born
That still echoes my murmurs
In the whispers of rosy mornings
And spreads my fragrance with the wind

Or is it the city where I went to school
That still preserves my frayed memories
Of broken pencils and faded pages
And the benches where I played along

Is it the city where I had lost myself
That still glorifies my mistakes explored
In all those struggles that it has kept
Hidden between dried petals of my diaries

Or is it the city where I found glory
That still reminds me of beautiful days
Shared smiles with my parents
And moved forward to find my road

Perhaps it is the city where I hadn't lived
It still carries my experiences with strangers
Of a weekend spent to find myself
In the history of a city that wasn't mine

I don't know which one it is
For I belong to every city I have visited
Left a part of me there to blend in the air
Picked another part and dissolved it in me

With the molecules and moments
That create themselves for me
I look back to every frame that was me
And let it unfurl a history of mine

I am not sure if there exists a city
That we humans can call our own
Or why else would we feel we belong there
When we procreate our lives in those cities

May 17, 2020 
BRIAN'S CHOICE H,any form,any theme
Winner: Honorable Mention

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James Inman June 19, 2020 at 9:09 AM I have always encouraged my daughters to open themselves to new places and experiences. I hope they will pursue their dreams where ever they may take them. As for me, I live between two mid size cities but I'm more of a small town kind of a guy. A beautiful write. Aditi Mishra June 20, 2020 at 12:01 PM This is really encouraging on your part that your daughters will remember to explore places and learn a lot. I am sure they will experience memories etched on their minds forever. Thank you for your kind words James :)

Line Gauthier May 21, 2020 at 12:32 AM Lovely poem. You are truly a woman of the world. Beautiful imagery. Aditi Mishra May 21, 2020 at 1:36 AM Glad you loved it Line. Thank you for appreciating :)

John Watt May 18, 2020 at 11:27 PM In America, there is a saying in our national parks - "Take only photographs, leave only footprints". Each city you have graced is a better place for the footprints and fingerprints you have left behind, and you are a better person for each city's mental photographs that contribute to your scrapbook of identity. I enjoyed reading this very much, Aditi, and it is very special to me, as are you. Keep writing, inspiring, sharing, and encouraging, my dear friend. God bless you always ~ John Aditi Mishra May 19, 2020 at 3:11 AM I am really thankful for the beautiful message you have interpreted from my words and that it means so much to you. Always a blessing to hear words of wisdom and appreciation from you dear friend. God bless you :)

Mohan Chutani May 18, 2020 at 4:21 AM It is always a give and take in places you live. Nicely done Aditi. Congrats. Aditi Mishra May 18, 2020 at 4:50 AM Yes perhaps we learn something from those places and give others something to learn as well. Thank you Mohan :)

Kai Michael Neumann May 17, 2020 at 12:23 PM A true cosmopolitan I suppose. I will have to ask myself that question. I guess for me my City is and will always be Hamburg, where I was raised and studied. And the most wonderful City I visited on my travels is Istanbul...Kind wishes, Kai Aditi Mishra May 17, 2020 at 2:29 PM For the sake of feeling belonged to one city, I take it to be the city where I have spent my years with my family, studying and being raised up before I moved out for my work. I've never been to Hamburg or Istanbul. You seem to have great experiences. Hope to gain some wisdom from them. :)

Vijay Pandit May 17, 2020 at 9:44 AM My wife is the explorer in our family--so we have been to most major cities allover. Each has its beauty, history, culture that feels unique. And the most enjoyable part is how people are so nice everywhere. Yet, we feel relief when we come home where our family is. Keep exploring, Aditi. Kai Michael Neumann May 17, 2020 at 12:25 PM That is so true. Most people in most places are kind and hospitable. Some bear the sadness of history, but they all have their story to tell. Kind wishes, Kai Aditi Mishra May 17, 2020 at 11:39 AM That's true. At the end of a journey we feel at ease when we come back home after gathering experiences. And the history and people every where enrich our hearts if we let them. Each city adds to our being as a whole. Hope you explore more too.