Indentured labour brought my ancestors to the Caribbean
I often think about if they even wanted to be on those ships
Never to see or be seen by their families who remained
Their crowded bodies stuffed together
For One Hundred and Twelve excruciating days
The heartbreak of having to toss the dead overboard
All for the British and their new form of slavery
Generations pass; language is lost
Wavered autonomy and misplaced paperwork take effect
A disconnect from the ‘motherland’ is formed
New traditions and a cultural melting pot give way for a new way of life
Like many
I do not know where in South Asia my ancestors were taken from generations ago
While much was lost in the pages of history
— a steady thread that connects me remains
When I eat a bowl of hot dhal and rice
Or smell the fresh pholourie my mom makes
I feel the thread grow brighter
And I feel a connection to a land and I’ve never known
Angie Budhwa is an Indo-Caribbean Canadian poet who is fond of words and stories of all kinds. She believes that stories, both big and small, reflect the hearts of cultures and connects the past to the present. She enjoys writing about folklore, historical figures, and existentialism. Her most recent work can be found in Amble Mag and the Nzuri Journal of Coastline College. She can be found at https://twitter.com/AngieDarshanie?s=09.
the Decolonial Passage 