They sent me ...
... snapped, drew blood.
Like at ...
... for my teens.
I tried each ...
... unlike Aunt Jamila.
I wanted my ...
... like stained glass.
My mother cherished ...
... Marks and Spencers.
My salwar kameez ...
... recall the story
how the ...
... a tin boat.
I pictured my ...
... them in tissue.
Or there were ...
... the Shalimar Gardens.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
An Interview with Alzi — Watch an interview with Moniza Alzi in which she discusses her poetic inspiration and reads some of her poems aloud.
Alzi's Recent Work — Visit Alzi's personal website to learn more about her writing.
A Brief Biography — Learn more about Alzi's live and work via Poetry International.
Salwar Kameez — Learn more about the beautiful, vibrantly colored traditional clothing that Alzi describes in this poem.
Pakistani Immigration — Learn more about the history of Pakistani immigrants in the UK.